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HOW THIS BLOG WORKS

New plant arrivals, desirable species and requested plants included
New species described every few days, most recent posts at top of thread
Jump to older Blog Threads from links below.
Blog discusses palm trees, cycads and tropical plants

LEARN ABOUT PALM TREES AND CYCADSBrief comments given below. We trim
this thread frequently to maintain 30 day run.
Information on sun requirements and cold tolerance given if
available
Pictures of mature specimens shown when possible
In depth posts with lots of photos on some species

PRICING ON PLANTS SHOWNOn some plants, pricing given with the
post
You can use quick link for all our prices:PALM
PRICES or CYCAD PRICES

SPECIALS AND SALESSpecials below apply to drop in visits or
mail orders. Photos are representative.
All specials have a termination date and always expire when the
current thread expiresTen Day Specialsexpire ten days
after date of posting and are marked in red color
For any sale prices, you must mention all Blog Only Sale Prices
when purchasing

BUT, NOT AT OUR NURSERY
FRINDLY PEOPLE
FRIENDLY PLANTSGARDEN FRIENDLY SPECIES

Nursery Established 1977
Located in coastal Encinitas, 1/3 mile from ocean
Freeway close, west of Freeway 5
Open six days a week
Great selection of species
Easy to browse and see plants
Most plants displayed on tables
Over 1000 species of rare plants
Over a quarter million plants for sale
Mail order and delivery available
All sized plants for sale, little to big
Friendly help packing up your purchases

FREE
HALLOWEEN CANDY TODAY FOR ALL THE KIDS WITH PARENTS THAT VISIT US!

Rusty and Joaquin

Ricardo

Jesse Bergman

Adrian

Alma

Mitzi

Phil Bergman

Very sophisticated staff

VARIOUS PRITCHARDIA SPECIES
SHIPPAABLE 5 GALLON SIZE
ALL EXOTIC AND GORGEOUS SPECIES

Several days ago a customer had an interest in
Pritchardias. She had a photograph of one and just loved
it. But, she lives on the East Coast. So, I took pictures of
plants that could be affordably shipped. Shown here are four nice
sized 5g Pritchardia species. And, we have many others
for sale.

Pritchardia are small to medium sized tropical fan palms.
We concentrate on the dozen or two species from Hawaii as they are more
cold hardy and easier to grow. Cold hardiness on most is into the
mid-twenties F. These can be grown inside or in greenhouses.
They have exotic green, typically flat leaves.

Pritchardia munroi

Pritchardia munroi

Pritchardia munroi

Pritchardia munroi

Pritchardia hildebrandtii blue

Pritchardia hildebrandtii blue

Pritchardia hildebrandtii blue

Pritchardia kaalae

Pritchardia kaalae

Pritchardia kaalae

Pritchardia species nut brown

Pritchardia species nut brown

Pritchardia species nut brown

Pritchardia hildebrandtii Balboa Park, San Diego

CERATOZAMIA LATIFOLIANEWLY EMERGENT RED LEAVES

This smaller Ceratozamia is a tropical
appearing cycad that comes from eastern Mexico where it grows in cloud
forests at an elevation of about 2500 feet. Its trunk is usually less
than a foot tall. Leaves are three to four feet long. When new leaves
emerge, they are a bronze or red-pink color. This color lasts for about
a month. The first five photos here show three newly emerging leaves on
a 5g plant about 3 inch caudex size. Nothing is quite as exciting as
seeing newly emerging red leaves. Imagine, with a large specimen, how
spectacular this appears.

This is a filtered light or part day sun species. Cold tolerance is
easily into the lower 20's F. People in the San Francisco Bay area can
easily grow this plant. The last photo shows leaves about three weeks
after emerging. You can see how the red color is changing to green.
I'm also showing several other nursery plants including an old photo of
a boxed specimen. We typically have a good supply of this species.
It's a nice addition to the floor of the garden under overhead canopy.

This endangered species has a small native
population in only one location near the ocean in northern Cuba. Until
about fifteen years ago, getting one of this species was essentially
impossible. Now, there are a few around. Many feel it is the most
interesting and attractive species in the genus Coccothrinax.
It is a small to medium size mature tree with a thin trunk as shown in
the last photo.

The crown of leaves is compact, the petioles are short and the leaves
are rigid and well divided. The trunk does have a petticoat (which can
be removed) and a fibrous substance attached. This is a sun loving
species and cold tolerance is unknown. However, I suspect it is in the
mid to upper twenties F.

Shown here are the limited numbers of 2g which we have available.

habitat photo by Rolf Kyburz, PACSOA

BRACHYCHITON RUPESTRISINTERESTING THICK TRUNK TROPICAL TREE

About three decades ago I visited Seaborne
Nursery up in the Lake Hodges area of San Diego County. It has long
since vanished as a nursery. A fellow who ran this nursery, Bill
Seaborne (now deceased) convinced me to try a few of this interesting
species. I planted them and within about five to ten years found they
have the most peculiar, large and swollen trunks. The leaflets are
quite fine; but the trunk is massive. It has a green snake skin type of
texture and is a fast growing tree.

I have a few 15g trees and some 5g plants for sale. The 15g size is
shown here. I am also showing you pictures of mature trees off the
Internet. This species is not known for flowers, but rather for it's
peculiar swollen trunk. It can get to fifty feet tall, likes sun, and
has a cold tolerance that is probably into the low 20's F.

photo by anbg.gov website

by Adelaide Zoo website, Australia

COCCOTHRINAX
MIRAGUAMA VAR HAVANENSISNATIVE TO CUBA
MEDIUM SIZED, THIN TRUNK FAN PALMCoccothrinax
miraguama is only found on the island ofCuba. There
are several varieties of this species. The variety of this
genus that has a natural habitat near Havana, the capitol, is called
C. miraguama variety havanensis. They are medium
sized species, up to about thirty feet. This is a fan palm with a crown
width of about twelve feet. All plants within this genus are
mostly known for the interesting pattern of woven fibers on the trunk as
shown below. This woven mesh is mostly right below the trunk.
Further down the trunk of an older specimen, the trunk is clean and
bare. As a species, Coccothrinax miraguama is often felt
to be one of the prettiest of the genus.

Shown here is a 7g plant of the variety havanensis. It is
about six years old. Although I don't have any pictures
specifically of this mature plants of this variety (it is super rare), I
am showing several photos of the species C. miraguama.
This is a sun loving species with cold tolerance into the mid-twenties
F. Of note, compared to the Coccothrinax barbadensis
previously described, this species has thinner leaflets, is somewhat
shorter and has the interesting woven pattern on the trunk.

Coccothrinax miraguama by Univ. of Florida

by SF Lanscape and Gardens website

SABAL BERMUDANATHE BERMUDA PALM
THICK TRUNK, BIG LEAVES

Native to the
island of Bermuda, this nearly extinct species is a medium sized fan
palm that gets to about twenty feet in height and has a one foot thick
trunk. Its leaf color is green or blue green. It tends to be larger
than Sabal palmetto. It has round leaves and a fairly clean
appearing trunk. Growth is quite
slow for a Sabal. It prefers full sun and is remarkably cold
hardy, probably into the mid teens F. There are reports of it going to
about 16 degrees. Shown here are some 15g plants. An interesting thing
that I found, while taking these photos, was the presence of long, white
wispy hairs around the leaves and petioles. This is similar to the
hairs you see with Livistona decipiens. I have not seen this
characteristic in print, but have photographed it hear for you to see.
I've also seen such hairs on Sabal ursesana. Another
interesting thing is the very clean and sharp edged petioles of
Sabal bermudana. They are cupped on the ventral side.

Over the years many have asked for this species and I've only been able
to supply smaller sizes. Now we can offer nice sized chunky 5g in
addition to the smaller plants.

PRITCHARDIA SCHATTAUERIISUPER RARE SPECIES FROM HI
NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND FOR SALE

In 1985 Don Hodel described a new, very tall
species of Pritchardia native to the island of Hawaii. His
article was published in the journal of the International Palm Society
named "Principes" at that time. (Now called "Palms").
When he described it there were less than a dozen plants left in the
wild. Habitat elevation gets up to almost a half a mile.

This is an extremely tall species of Pritchardia. There are
reports of specimens over 100 feet tall. Trunk diameter is about a
foot. Leaf width is 5 to 6 feet. Leaves are prominently segmented with
division half way into the blade. Petioles are long, up to six feet.

Shown here is a 5g plant. We only have a few of these and actually
though we had sold out. I'm showing this to you because you so rarely
get to see this species.

plant in habitat, photo by Al Bredeson. Note the
small person at the base of the palm.

This desirable and sought after species first
appeared on the market about 25 years ago when it was discovered in
Queensland. It's hard to imagine that it was unknown to the
nursery trade prior to that time. It reaches a mature height
typically of twenty-five feet or less and has a narrow caliper trunk for
it's height; about 8 inches. The crown shaft is a silver color,
leaves are fluffy (plumose) and short. It's because of the latter
that it's known as the Foxtail Palm.

It likes full hot sun. Some are trying this
species in the desert although the jury is out on their success.
The perfect area to grow this species might be that strip from about
five to fifteen miles inland from the ocean. There one gets lots
of heat and no real freeze. Right on the coast it has some
problems with salty wind. Cold tolerance is about 22 to 23 degrees
F. I do not know if it'll grow indoors. We're offering eight
foot tall (in container) plants on special today.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SIZE $175TEN DAY SPECIALTHIS SIZE
$150

We also have a few huge 25 gallon left in
inventory. To get the discount above on the special sale plants
shown here, you must mention this special at the time of purchase.

A limited number of these 25g are still available

A close up of the leaf showing how they are plumose

PANDANUS
UTILUSTHE SCREW PINETEN DAY SPECIAL HUGE BAND PLANTS

Pandanus utilus is called the Screw Pine but is not a pine at
all. It's actually a monocot (similar to palms) and native to
Madagascar, the Mauritius Islands and some surrounding areas. It
gets it's name by the arrangement of leaves which come off the trunk in
spiraling fashion, always the same direction. Thus, the leaves
spin off at different angles in a swirl. Leaves are rather thin
and have spines along the margins. The trunk on this species is
quite amazing. It forms aerial roots (sausage like) that come to
the ground for stability. Trunks fork and form multiple heads of
leaves. Trunks can also be quite smooth, almost snakeskin-like.
It has large fruit clusters that are bigger than grenades. Leaf
color is green with a sheen of blue.

Overall height is variable, but old specimens can easily be over thirty
feet tall with lots of branches. As I type this I'm looking out my
window at a Screw Pine in my garden that is 25 feet tall. I love
this plant. It takes sun or part sun. Cold tolerance is
probably in the mid-twenties F. We are offering very old bands
that are about six years old and a great buy. They can be easily
shipped.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $45TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE
$35
Just mention this blog special when purchasing to get this price.

Band size on special for ten days

RAVENEA XEROPHILA A SILVER, DROUGHT-TOLERANT SPECIES

This endangered species of
arid palm comes from Southern Madagascar in the "Spiny Forest" part of
the country, where it grows at high elevation among the likes of cactus
and other xerophytic species. It prefers hot sun and can tolerate
drought. Natural habitat is from 1000 to 2500 feet, the trunk height is
fifteen to twenty five feet with a diameter of one foot, and the trunk
is covered with old leaf bases. The leaves are rather short, up to six
feet, curved downward and gray or gray-green in color. A surprising
characteristic of this species is found by anyone who has germinated
seeds. On germination, a huge radicle is produced. It resembles a
cycad more than a palm. It is like a huge carrot attached to the seed.
This root and subsequent roots are good size and very long, showing how
this species adaptation to search for deep water in its natural
habitat. I am suspicious that these roots may also retain water for
emergency purposes. This species does tolerate drought but responds to
watering. It is extremely slow growing.

Shown to the right and below are containerized plants ofRavenea xerophila. Citrus pot plants
take us about five years to produce. The larger plants below took eight
years. I'm showing a juvenile plant the garden of a friend of mine,
Jeff Searle. The final habitat photo is from Tobias Spanner at Rare
Palm Seeds. Everyone who grows this species comments that 1) it is very
slow and 2) it is typically blue, or a blue-green in color. I
apologize, but there are so few pictures of mature plants of this
species available, so I hope you enjoy those that I can provide to
you. Be aware, availability of this species is very limited.

This is a rather thin trunked, tall pinnate palm
that is rarely seen and native to eastern Madagascar. How I found out
about this species has always made this species special to me. About
twenty years ago at a meeting in Florida, just before the book,
Palms of Madagascar, was released, I met and talked to its authors,
John Dransfield and Henk Benjtee, both of Kew Gardens in the U.K. Both
of these taxonomists and field researchers had heard about this unusual
Ravenea species. They drove for hours trying to get a look at
it, always with no results. Out of frustration, they stopped the car on
a remote dirt road, got out the binoculars and started an intense
scanning of the horizon, hoping for a glimpse of this yet to be
described species. With them was Henk's wife, Julie. In frustration,
they were about to give up their search. Then, Henk's wife pointed to a
large specimen just feet from the car and by the side of the road. She
said, "Maybe it's this one". And, it was!. Right in front of them was
the specimen they used to describe this species. And, because of her
"assistance", it was named after Julie.

Trunk height is thirty feet with a diameter of only about six inches.
Leaves are recurved a bit and leaflets are widely spaced. Leaf color is
green. We've found this species to be very slow growing. We recently
obtained some 5g plants that are six or seven years old. The close up
of the base shows how this species is "keeled" like most other
Ravenea. The first two habitat photos were taken by Henk Bentje
and are from the Kew Gardens website. The last photo was taken by a
long time friend of mine, Rolf Kyburz, and is from PACSOA. As this
species is so rare in cultivation, little is known abut its specific
requirements. I'd estimate its cold tolerance to be into the twenties
F. I anticipate it will tolerate coastal sun. If you live in a hotter,
inland area I'd recommend giving it partial sun protection.

One of the most popular hybrid palms in the world
is a cross between Butia capitata and the common Queen Palm,
Syagrus romanzoffiana. I wouldn't doubt that the first cross of
these two species was serendipitous. But, when enthusiasts figured out
that this cross was not only beautiful but super cold hardy, enthusiasm
grew.

It is important that you remember when making a cross, the parent that
"produces the seeds" is a critical thing. The seed-bearing parent is
mentioned first when quoting the cross. If it's a cross between two
pure species, this is called an F1 cross. So, the mule palm is an F1
cross between the Pindo Palm and the Queen Palm with the Pindo producing
the seeds. The opposite cross is not nearly as desirable and just
results in a funny looking Queen Palm.

The Mule Palm is unique in that it really doesn't look like either
parent. It is quite tropical appearing and surprisingly cold hardy to
about 16 degrees F. Because of the latter hardiness, it is quite sought
after by people in cold areas. It gives a cold hardy pinnate palm that
looks tropical. This hybrid likes full sun, can even take desert sun in
areas like Phoenix, and is pretty fast growing. We were lucky enough to
get in some very nice 20g plants as shown in the first six photos. The
larger ones are plants we've had in the past and on occasion are
available. The mature plants show how robust this hybrid is (hybrid
vigor) and how tropical they look over time. We only limited numbers of
these available.

BUTIA PARAGUAYENSISMEDIUM SIZED MATURETEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This species is interesting because, in the wild,
it is known as a dwarf species that forms minimal trunk. But, when it
is grown domestically, it forms a trunk about the size of Butia
capitata. It, as you'd guess, comes from Paraguay, with habitat
extending into Brazil and northern Argentina. The color is a
blue-green, not as silver as Butia capitata. The leaves are
strongly arched as shown. The first photos in the third row below shows
a fairly small plant in a garden. The photo by Tobias Spanner shows a
much larger plant.

We have available extremely nice 15g plants. I have shown one that is a
"double" with two plants in one pot.

Culture includes full sun and good draining soil. Cold hardiness is
into the teens F. I am anticipating that I might have some 5g of this
species available as well. Shown are only the 15g size.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL $145

You must mention this special when purchasing to get this price.
We only have a few, so don't dally.

Multiple times over the past several years I've
shown you this very desirable blue form of Butia capitata. In all ways, it is the same as the normal
Pindo Palm except in its intense blue color. It loves full hot sun
and can grow in desert areas. It is cold hardy to about 15 degrees
F. It is also drought tolerant. Growth rate is medium.
Mature height peaks out at 20 feet or less. We can mail order
these 15g plants.

In more recent times Caryota gigas has
become the most requested species of Fishtail Palm. It reaches a
mature height of about thirty-five feet and is very stout at its base.
As a group, they prefer full sun and plenty of room for their large
leaves to expand. Leaf length can be up to fourteen feet. Being
bipinnate in structure, the many individual side "leaves" branch off the
central main leaf stem. Basal diameter can be thirty inches or
more.

Cold hardiness is down to the low 20's. It is felt that
Caryota urens is a bit more cold hardy, faster growing and
has smaller leaves than C. gigas. Common names for
Caryota gigas include the King Kong Palm, the Black Stem Fishtail
and the Thai Mountain Giant. The 15g shown here are of nice
quality and ready to be planted.

Before the introduction of Caryota gigas, C.
urens was the only real single trunk Fishtail Palm that was
available. It is unbelievably fast growing, making a trunk that is
about the diameter of a telephone pole. Leaves are bipinnate and
about ten feet long. Mature height can easily surpass fifty feet
and plants have been known to get taller than eighty feet. Cold
hardiness is into the upper teens F., thus making it the most cold hardy
of the Fishtails.

It will reach full sun no matter where you plant
it. This is because it grows so quickly it'll surpass anything
around it. It's not unusual for a 15g plant to grow above a single
story house in two years. It responds to ample water. Like
all Fishtails, this is a monocarpic species with a life expectancy of
about twenty years.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $145

Remember to mention this special price when
purchasing to get the discount.

Boy do I dislike this accepted common name - "the
Baby Queen Palm". I say this because this species is nothing like
a Queen Palm whatsoever, either in appearance or size. It was
merely given this name by a commercial concern that wanted people to
remember their plant's name. And, because it is easy to
remember, it's probably here to stay. Remember, common names are
typically made up by nurseries trying to sell their plants.

Unlike most other Chamaedoreas, this
species does take coastal full sun. They have thin green trunks
and get to a height of about fifteen feet. They quickly grow
overhead and out of the way. Thus, they are an ideal plant for a
thin planter strip. Growth rate is fast. Cold hardiness is
about 22 degrees, perhaps a tad lower.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $145

But, you must mention this special to get this
discount. Height of these plants on special in their containers is
about six to seven feet.

In contrast to Chamaedorea plumosa, this
species' common name is great. This is because the crown shaft is
an actual triangle shape in cross section. Triangle Palms love
heat and sun. It can even be grown in full sun in desert areas.
It reaches a mature height of about 22 degrees F. But, it's cold
hardiness is only about 23 to 24 degrees. Leaf color is gray.
The crown shaft has speckles of purple with other colors. Most
feel the crown shaft is the best part of this palm.. It's an
interesting and attractive species. Growth rate is medium.
The age of the plants on special is 4 to 5 years.

REGULAR PRICE 15G PLANTS $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $150

We have limited numbers available. You must
mention this Blog Special at the time of purchase to get this price.

If you live in a colder area and this special
doesn't excite you, I don't know what will. I am offering this
dwarf fan palm at a great price. And, these 15g plants are huge
and old. Some are even in flower and seeding (see photo). I
estimate the age of these plants to be ten years. They are about
as tall as they are going to get. Some are crawling in their
containers with 8 inch thick bases.

Mature height of this species is six feet.
They can take full sun but also tolerate filtered light. Cold
hardiness is 16 degrees F. Fruits are black and seeds are small.
Flowers typically emerge up over the leaves. .

REGULAR PRICE THESE LARGE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE
$125!!!

But, you have to mention this Blog Only Special to
get this great price. These plants are heavy but can be shipped
for mail order. Limited numbers available.

photo c/o Wikipedia Commons

MONDAY, 27 OCTOBER, 2014

FAN PALMSTHEY ALL JUST LOOK LIKE MEXICAN FAN PALMS,
CORRECT?I DON'T THINK SO.
All photos here are of fan palms. They were taken in the wild, in
botanical gardens or at the nursery. But, all are of fan palms of
one species or another. I've not labeled them because I'm
presenting them as a group. From a structure point of view, a fan
palm is a palm where all the segments (or leaflets) radiate from one
central area. These can form a whole circle of leaflets, a half
circle, or less. Compare this to a pinnate palm where leaflets
come off a central leaf stalk. I.e., leaflets protrude laterally
from a central stem, typically to either side.

Over the years I have heard people say hundreds of time things like "I
don't like fan palms; they all look like Mexican Fans". Or, "Fan
palms look like "desert palms". Or, "Fan palms are so boring; I
like normal palms". If you were like me and had studied palms for
almost forty years, what would you say to such comments? I usually
just say something like "I understand" and show them typical pinnate
palms. But, I am aware that nothing could be further from the
truth.

There are such exotic fan palms of all types, shapes, sizes, color and
textures. I've tried to demonstrate their varied appearance here.
Fan palms comes from all corners of the world. Some are large
trees, others tiny. Some species are for shade only. Some
have silver undersides. And, others are almost white in color.

And, fan palms add a different look and dimension to the garden. A
garden composed of only pinnate palms like King Palms is quite boring.
One has to mix fans into a garden to add diversity and interest. I
hope you can see with these photos how you could do this.

Many people have heard of the Lady Palm. It
is a sought after patio or interior palm. But, there is a most
unusual type of Lady Palm that is quite different. Rhapis humilus is
a much taller species and tolerates sun along our coast. The
standard Rhapis excelsa does not take sun and typically doesn't get over
six to eight feet tall. R. humilus
can easily get over 20 feet tall. Canes are thicker and stronger,
covered with tidy brown fiber.

The "interesting story" about this species is that
no native habitat is presently known. People guess that it's from
southern China. Obviously, it started somewhere. But,
presently it exists only in botanical gardens, private gardens and
nurseries. And, to add to this disappearance from nature, only
male plants are known to exist. So, propagation is only by taking
divisions of existing plants. Therefore, this is a super rare
species and hard to get. And, as you'd expect, rather expensive.

Shown here are several nice nursery plants.
Our availability varies over time but we can usually get one for
interested customers. Note how in the last two photos the plants
are taking full hot sun.

DIOON SPINULOSUM
WITH MULTIPLE HEADS
HOW DO CYCAD TRUNKS FORK?

Shown here is a Dioon spinulosum
at the nursery that is forming about five different heads of leaves at
the top of about a 20 inch tall trunk. Such behavior can lead to a
'branching" cycad trunk. The last two photos below shown two older
cycads with forked trunks. But, you might ask "how does this
occur"?

It is very common for cycads to form basal suckers or offsets.
Some call these "pups". These are at ground level and will form a
cluster of trunks over many years. But, this is not true "branding" of
the trunk. Also, cycads can make small offsets on the side of a
trunk. Occasionally these will survive and lead to forked trunks.
Usually they die off. But, the most surefire way to get a forked
trunk is to have the apical end of the trunk make multiple heads.
This is often the result of some type of injury or infection. The
primary crown of leaves dies and new offsets are formed. This is
what has happened with this plant shown here in the clay pot.

In many years this particular plant may end up being spectacular.
Time will tell. I've tried to show close up views so you can see
what's happening. Also shown are two pictures from other sites of
mature forking cycads. By the way, this plant is for sale.

nursery specimen typical single head appearance

Dioon purpusii forming multiple heads

Branching Cycas from Outreacholodgy
Website,
India

Branching cycad Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
website

This nursery plant Sago has multiple trunks
which have formed from basal suckers,
not "branching" as discussed here

Nursery plant with normal trunk

Many centuries old Dioon merolae in
habitat with
branching trunks, photo by J.O.

DIOON SPINULOSUMTEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 1 GALLON PLANTS

See description above.

REGULAR PRICE 1G $45TEN DAY SPECIAL $35

Just mention this blog special at time of purchase to get the discount.
Great patio and sometimes interior cycad. Great holiday gift!

COPERNICIA ALBATHE CARANDAY PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This is probably the most cold hardy of any of
the Copernicia. It is native to the South American countries
of Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. We just got in some very nice 15g
plants, so I thought I'd present the species here. It is a very tall
palm (can get up to 100 feet) yet has an extremely thin trunk, usually
less than 12 inches. The upper trunk can hold on to old leaf bases, but
on older specimens most of the trunk shows a clean gray appearance. The
leaves are about three feet wide, green above and blue-green to blue
below. The deeply divided leaves are about three feet wide.. Petioles
are mildly armed. Photos here show the leaf characteristics.

Like other tall, thin palms, this species can be planted in a group of
several together. It wants full sun and is cold hardy well into the
lower twenties and even the upper teens F. It can tolerate desert
climates. We also have available smaller plants for sale. If you
compare this to the Copernicia baileyana recently discussed.
The two are totally different appearing palms within the same genus.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $150

But, you must mention this blog special to get this price when you
purchase.

SATURDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2014

CYPHOPHOENIX NUCELE TALL, THIN TRUNK NEW CALEDONIAN PALM

Many palm enthusiasts prefer a tall palm that is elegant appearing, has
a thin trunk, is pinnate and has a nice colored crown shaft.
Cyphophoenix nucele certainly meets all these criteria and gets to
a height in habitat of about fifty feet. But, such heights may take
many decades to achieve in your garden. This species is native to the
Loyalty Islands east of New Caledonia. It's growth habits are about the
same as Cyphophoenix elegans but it is said to tolerate soils
that are more limey (higher pH). I've found that it's best to begin it
in filtered light and let it grow up into more light over time. Inland
areas demand continual filtered light. The trunk is about six, perhaps
eight inches thick. The crown shaft is silver-green. Leaves are flat
and a nice green color.

Shown here is first a nice 15g plant of good size. The mature plants
shown here are from gardens, mostly in Southern California. Note how
most of these are in somewhat protected areas. Cold tolerance is at
best into the mid to upper twenties F. We have limited numbers of this
species for sale.

Compared with the Cyphophoenix elegans, I find that the leaves
of this species are more upright, have very little arch to them. The
leaflets themselves are wider than C. elegans and more crowded
on the leaf stem. Trunk diameter is about the same, six inches.
Overall height is similar as well. We have both species available at
the nursery.

5 gallon sized plant

juvenile garden plant in Southern CA

LEPIDOZAMIA
PEROFFSKYANAA "USER FRIENDLY"
LARGE CYCADI enjoy talking about this species because it is
one of my favorites. It is a large species over time. I say 'user
friendly" because this is one of the few species that has absolutely no
spines; none of the leaflets, none one the stems. A leaf brushing
across your face feels no more intense than brushing past a Maiden Hair
Fern. We have a huge selection of this species. I am going to show you
an assortment of plants. Below are a few of the main characteristics of
this species:

For many years we have been growing this species
of shade loving South African cycad that looks more like a fern than a
cycad. I just photographed a male plant in cone in a citrus pot.
So, I wanted to show it here. I have also included one photo below
of a female cone on a different plant. This is a small cycad
species. Leaves are usually four feet long or less. Caudex
size is typically six inches or less. Plants in 15g pots
frequently cone and, as you can see, so do older citrus pot plants.
It's not unusual for us to have five to ten plants coning at the same
time..

Right on our coast, some people are growing this plant in full sun. But,
most grow it in filtered light. It holds typically three or four
leaves which are a lush green color. The male cone is thinner but
not necessarily taller. The shape of the female cone is more like
a pineapple. Setting seeds is not difficult on this species.
Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F.

The first palm shown here is a nice, large 25
gallon size Chambeyronia hookeri with its blonde colored crown
shaft. Very similar to the dark green crown shafted form,
Chambeyronia macrocarpa, it is popular and a favorite. Here's some
facts about this species:

• Growth habit and care about the same as
macrocarpa
• Along the coast will tolerate full sun if you're are not too far
inland
• Crown shaft is yellow-tan colored and quite prominent
• Cold tolerance is about 23 degrees
• Growth rate on this species like macrocarpa is slow to
medium but improves once planted in the ground.
• Trunk diameter is about 8 inches typically and overall height of
mature plants is about 25 feet
• Leaflets are shiny green, thick and sturdy, and quite wide as shown
• Like macrocarpa, about 95% of the time throws newly emerging
red leaf as shown here. Rarely a plant will not throw new red leaves
and there's no way of predicting this.
• Also makes a great interior palm inside the home

We have very limited numbers available of this species in an assortment
of sizes.

outddor grown in LA., In sun, nice red leaf by
D.L.

5 gallon size at nursery

juvenile in garden, photo by RP

BURRETIOKENTIA KOGHIENSIS
THIN TRUNKED NEW CALEDONIAN PALM

Shown here is a good sized 15g plant of this rare
and hard to find species. Native to mountainous areas of New Caledonia,
this species is not that difficult to grow in Southern California.
Here's some facts about this species:

• Thin trunk about 6 inches in diameter,
sometimes thicker
• Typical height about 30 feet although in habitat gets over 50 feet
tall
• Crown shaft is silver-green
• When juvenile in a pot, the crown shaft is triangular in shape,
reminiscent of the Triangle Palm
• Can tolerate part day sun along the coast
• Cold tolerance into the mid-twenties F.
• Growth rate medium, faster in the ground

Being a friend of the island of New Caledonia, I
am going to show you the only cycad native to their country. It is
Cycas neocaledonica. They are quite proud of it. But, taxonomists
have in more recent years declassified it as a species and now call it
Cycas seemannii. Most remarkable is the fact that this cycad
essentially has nothing sharp or pointed to poke you. The leaf stems
are without prickles or spines. Leaves are green and shiny.

Crowns can hold as many as fifty leaves with lengths up to 7 feet.
Trunks are 8 to 12 inches thick at maturity and overall height of
centuries old plants can be over 40 feet. Most grow this species is
part day sun or strong filtered light although it takes full sun right
on the coast. Cold tolerance is about 22 to 24 degrees F.

The two nursery plants to the right and below are about ten to twelve
years old.

a different nursery specimen

note absence of spines or prickles on leaf stem

photo by late Ken Hill at Cycad Pages website

pstage stamp, Fiji, with Cycas seemannii

BUTIA BONNETTII
SPECIES? VARIETY? BEST FOR COLD?Enter another type of Butia. Over
three decades ago, I began hearing about Butia bonnettii.
Many questioned whether it's actually a species or just a variety of
Butia capitata at best. Reference books typically don't even
mention it at all. Some believe it is a definitely different
plant. The Northern California Palm Society website describes it
and claims it's a great palm for up there. I don't really know for
sure, but can recite here what others have said about it.

It doesn't
get as tall as capitata, usually just to 10 feet
It is more green than capitata, i.e. less intensely blue
It has a smaller crown and shorter leaves than capitata
It might be the most cold hardy plant in the genus

In
any case, I got in a few really big 15g plants of what is said to be
Butia bonnettii. I am showing them here. I have also
borrowed an internet photo of a specimen plant in Northern CA from the
Palm Society Northern California website. This plant is apparently
in Vacaville, CA..

Very limited numbers available, almost sold out.

Photo by Dennis Valdez from PSNC website

RAVENEA
RIVULARISTHE MAJESTY PALM

About twenty-five years ago, I was one of the
first nurserymen in the U.S. to grow this species. There was talk
at the time that this would be "the palm of the future". This did
not evolve except that it has been mass produced in large numbers and
sold through many wholesale nurseries. But, inherent problems kept
it from being the most sought after species. First, it needs lots
of nutrition (fertilizer). If it is not fed and watered regularly,
it becomes yellow and can even turn white. (see photo below).
Also, it likes a lot of water. Finally, it is super fast growing
and needs a fair amount of space. This species can get to heights
of 50 feet with trunk bases as big as a Royal Palm (30 inches).

Because of these short comings, in more recent times depot stores are
trying to market this species with three plants in one pot and sell it
as a "house plant". Unfortunately, it doesn't do great inside the
home. It's ok, but there are much better interior palms. So,
popularity has backed off and many stores no longer carry Ravenea
rivularis.

But, it does have its attributes. It is quick and, when treated
well, can make a nice specimen plant as shown. in the photos below.
The photo with the woman at the base was taken from my garden in 1985.
It now has over thirty feet of trunk today. That's my wife standing next
to the trunk in the photo. Some of the photos below are from
habitat in Madagascar. You can tell which ones. Cold hardiness is
into the lower twenties F. and along the coast this species can take
full sun. Far inland areas must give some protection from full
sun.

Photo by MR

Photo by MR

Nutritionally challenged plant, unknown
photographer

In my garden, about 1985, with my wife

BISMARCKIA NOBILISFANTASTIC SILVER FAN PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE
Many of you are familiar with this rather large, brilliantly silver-blue
fan palm from Madagascar. Our 15g palms are showing their color quite
well as you can see. They are about four feet tall. Mature height of
this species is supposed to be forty feet, but we'll have to wait and
see if they get this tall in California. Cold tolerance is into the mid
and possibly lower 20's F. They demand full sun and are a great species
for desert climates. During the winter it is better not to over-water
them. Enthusiasts in Northern CA are also giving this species a try.
At the nursery we also have larger and smaller sized Bismarckia
for sale.

REGULAR PRICE 15G SIZE $175TEN DAY SPECIAL $95

To receive this discount, mention our Blog only special. Mail order of
the 15g size is possible.

COPERNICIA BAILEYANA
IN BAND SIZE
GORGEOUS MATURE PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

Copernicia baileyana is the king of the Copernicia genus.
The trunks are thick, tall and almost white in color. It is a gorgeous
plant. And, anyone who has ever germinated or grown this species knows
that they are unbearably slow. For three years after germination all
you see are a few blades of grass. And, it is extremely difficult to
find this species for sale anywhere. The seedlings shown here are six
years old, already showing a few palmate fan leaves. They are large for
a band container. And, they can be easily shipped. We also have nice
5g available.

This is a full sun species. Cold tolerance is into the mid-twenties F.
It likes good draining, sandy soil. Growth rate is super slow. This
species is near impossible to find for sale. Some of the large
specimens in the last photo were from Fairchild Botanical Garden in
Miami and were lost during Hurrican Andrew about two decades ago.

REGULAR PRICE BAND $40TEN DAY
SPECIAL $30

Just mention this special to get the discount.

WEDNESDAY, 22 OCTOBER, 2014

ENCEPHALARTOS
CONESMANY COLORS, MALES AND FEMALES

Most of the photos here were taken from
Encephalartos plants at the nursery. All photos here show
Encephalartos, a type of cycad native to Africa. Both males
and females cones are shown. As most of you know, cycads are
dioecious plants with both male and female reproductive parts. In
cycads they are called "cones". Female cones look somewhat like a
pineapple. Male cones tend to look like a corn cob where the
kernals have been eaten. Pollen must make its way from the
male cone to the receptive female. This is usually accomplished by
insects in the wild. Domestically here in the U.S. it must be
transferred manually.

When successful and the timing is right, viable seeds result.
Seeds are often quite a bright color, often red (see last photo).
Cones come in a variety of colors a well, yellow and tan/brown being the
most common. E. ferox is
striking because of it's red or orange cones. All cones are very
attractive. They last for about six months on the plant and then
brown out and fall off the plant. One must remember to wear gloves
and a mask when handling cycad pollen.

This cycad is native to the state of
Tamaulipas in Mexico. Stems of usually solitary but can sucker as shown
in this old mature specimen at the nursery. Stem size is typically
under ten inches. The boxed specimen here has three suckers, the
largest ten inches. Leaves of this species are three to five feet long
and have long narrow leaflets as shown here. New leaves often emerge
reddish-brown or copper colored. Photos demonstrate the new leaf color
below.

This is a filtered light species although it tolerates full sun along
the coast. Cold tolerance is into the low 20's F. It is being grown in
northern California in coastal areas. We have a reasonable supply of
these for sale including several 25 year old boxed specimens. One is
shown to the right and for sale. I wish to thank the worldwide friends
and contributors for their photos of mature specimens.

female cone on different plant

A different 15 gallon plant

Red-brown new leaves on a different nursery plant

by RainForestRobert Palmtalk

by Ian Edwards PACSOA

by Colin Wilson PACSOA

ARENGA ENGLERISUCKERING COLD HARDY PALM FROM JAPAN AND
TAIWANTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G
SIZE

This suckering Asian palm rarely gets over
ten feet tall and has medium width leaflets that are jagged at their
apical ends. The underside of the leaflets are silver. But, from afar,
it looks like a green palm. It is thick with stems because it suckers
heavily and cannot be seen through. Therefore, it's a good species to
block visibility. Growth rate is slow. Cold tolerance is into the
upper teens F. Flowers are very fragrant but seeds contain a substance
which makes the skin itch.

REGULAR PRICE 15 THIS SPECIES $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $150

You must mention this blog only special to get this price when
purchasing.

This tall Australian fan palm has a trunk about 12
inches in diameter and in many years can get over forty feet tall. It
is armed on the petioles. Leaflets ends droop downwards giving it the
name of Ribbon Palm. It is an easy grow, likes sun and is cold tolerant
into the upper teens F.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $150

You must mention this Website Only special to get
this price when you purchase.

This is a South African cycad species that prefers part day sun or
strong filtered light. It's easy to grow. Leaflets are shaped like the
popular Holly Fern. Also, cones are fire engine red, especially the
females. Sometimes they are bright orange. Leaves get to about six
feet and trunks are rarely over 2 feet.

REGULAR PRICE CIT POT SIZE THIS SPECIES $150TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $100

To get this price you must mention this Blog special when purchasing.

Sale size, citrus pot

larger mature nursery specimen to show what
it will become

SABAL MINOR
DWARF PALM, SUPER COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This fan palm species is native to the Gulf states of the U.S.,
especially Texas. It never gets much over six or seven feet tall. It
has blossoms that come up above the leaves and produce an ample supply
of small black seeds. And, it tolerates filtered light. Cold hardiness
is into the mid to upper teens F. We're offering our 5g size on
special.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $45

You have to mention this Blog only special when purchasing to get this
price.

Plain and simply put,
this is a superior and great palm for Southern
California. It is fairly cold hardy and the only thing
you have to decide is how much sun to give it. Up to
about eight miles from the ocean, it tolerates full
sun. Further inland it needs part day sun. Far inland
requires filtered light. Cold tolerance is into the low
20's F. This species is an easy grow up in the SF Bay
area.

Shown here is a large and nice 25 gallon plant along
with other assorted sizes we offer. This species is
most known for it's large, bulging crown shaft and
upright leaves. The crown of leaves is "V-shaped" as
shown on large specimens below. Maximum height is about
30 feet. Growth rate is slow, especially when young.
I've found that I can't get a vertically trunked plant
in a 24 inch box no matter how long I grow it. To get
trunk, this species really has to be in the ground.
Native habitat is New Zealand.

Remember, large specimens in the garden move poorly.
Don't dig one to move to your garden as your chances for
success are less than ten percent. We have a pretty
good supply of this (and other
Rhopalostylis species) for sale.

band sized seedling

5g size plant

15 g sized plant

photo shows bulging crown shaft and flower

plants in sun in Balboa Park, San
Diego

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDATEN DAY SALE 5G PLANTS

Please see description above.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY
SPECIAL THIS SIZE $55

But, remember to mention this Blog Special when
purchasing to get the discount.

MONDAY, 20 OCTOBER, 2014

COPERNICIA ALBAGOOD GROWING SOUTH AMERICAN PALMFOR MANY, A SLAM DUNK TO GROWMULTIPLE SIZES AVAILABLE

This blue-green fan palm comes from multiple
countries of South America including Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and on up
to Columbia. It has a surprisingly thin trunk for it's potential
mature height of over fifty feet. Trunk diameter is often less
than 12 inches. Trunks hold on to old leaf bases when young.
But, these eventually fall off giving a smooth tan trunk. Leaf
stems are armed with spines. Leaf color is green to blue, often
somewhere in between.

The cool thing about this species is that it's very
easy to grow. It has a cold hardiness into the upper teens F.
And, it loves full hot sun. There are lots of mature plants in
Southern California and desert enthusiasts are now growing this species
in full sun.

We have a pretty good selection of this species
from bands to larger plants although it is variable over time.
This species can be easily shipped.

CORPHYA PALMS
TALIPOT TYPE PALMSMASSIVELY LARGE FAN PALMS
BUT, I'M BUMMED ABOUT THIS GENUSThis is the first time I've ever talked
about this type of palm tree. I've avoided it because I didn't
want to remind myself of my disappointment with this genus. Corypha
is a genus of fan palms native to various countries in Asia ranging
from Malaysia down through the Philippines to Australia. All are
known for their massively large leaves. Leaf diameter (width) can
reach sixteen feet and cover the average automobile. Trunk
diameters can get up to almost two meters. Heights can reach
seventy-five feet. Leaf color is green and leaf bases are attached
until the tree ages and they fall off.

But, there are two major drawbacks in my opinion to Corypha.
First, this is a monocarpic genus. When it blossoms, the tree
dies. But, wow! The blossom is unbelievable.
Corypha umbraculifera (see photo) can produce a blossom twenty-five
feet tall, producing thousands of seeds. The second drawback and
bummer for those of us in Southern California is that we can't grow any
Corypha. We just get too cold in the winter. I say
this because, in my travels through our area, I have yet to see a large
outdoor specimen of any Corypha. And, the ones I grow at
the nursery have never lived outdoors over time. So, this is a
bummer for me and others.

Just so you can get a feel for the size of these monsters, look at the
two photos in the third row below. Look how small the people are
compared to the trees. When you stand next to one, it's truly
remarkable. I'd bet a dozen kids could hide under one leaf!

If anyone out there in our area has a large Corypha, please
email me a photo. I'd love to change my mind on this. If you
have a big one, I'll post it here and change my mind on Corypha.

What a great palm the Coconut is! It is such a survivor.
Experts don't really know the country of origin. Coconuts can
float and travel across oceans. So, they sprout and grow on every
tropical beach around. Thus, no one knows where they started.
They tolerate hurricanes, salty air, salty soil and tremendous winds.
They are known for they tall, thin and curving trunks. Cocos
nucifera is the prototype palm on this planet.

I only know a handful that are alive and growing reasonably well in
Southern California. Our cool winters seem to slowly do them in.
They might not die immediately but rather months later.
Hopefully lots of you will send me photos of "your Coconut" thriving in
Southern California. I'll post your photos. But, it is a
challenge. It's a shame that depot stores sell them here knowing
well that 99.5% will die within six to twelve months.

We offer them from time to time in 15g or smaller sizes. But, you
cannot purchase one from us without a stern warning that the palm will
not survive outdoors As a houseplant, maybe. But, outdoors
is almost impossible for most people in this area.

As most of you are aware, it's very difficult to
get information on plant species, especially with lots of photos
demonstrating the species. This includes internet articles and
reference books. So often you're left wanting more photos. This
morning I decided to help alleviate this problem and illustrate the wide
variety of leaf color with the South African cycad species
Encephalartos longifolius. I'm showing you lots of photos of
nursery plants and garden specimens. Especially note that leaf colors
vary from blue like an Encephalartos horridus to the darkest
green. And, you'll see every combination in between. I think the
photos here will demonstrate this.

A few key facts about this species include:• Leaf color blue to green with sometimes a
striking bluish ploom on new leaves.
• Like with other blue cycads, the blue color is the result of a blue
waxy substance produced by the leaflets
• A blue leaf's wax can be rubbed off showing a dark green leaflet
below
• Stem height up to 15 feet in centuries and up to 18 inches thick
• Leaves 3 to 7 feet long, sometimes prominently keeled with leaflets
pointing upwards
• Leaves often curved downward at the end and bowed. See third photo.
Sometimes this can be a 270 degree curve.
• Prefers sun in most coastal areas
• Cold tolerance about 22 degrees
• Huge female cones, up to 80 pounds.

I absolute love this species and highly recommend it. I decided to
write this because a few days ago a customer was interested in this
species and asked for photos of some medium sized plants. And, it went
from there. Be aware we have plants of all sizes and these are easily
shipped anywhere in the country. I've not shown smaller plants here.

Yesterday we took a quick walk around the nursery just to photograph
about a dozen or so Encephalartos trispinosus.
Plants
shown here are mostly outdoor grown. Caudex size ranges from five
inches to twelve inches, some in cone. All are blue.
Variation in the intensity of the blue is the result of how much sun any
given plant is seeing, photographic technique, and individual plant
characteristics.

All these plants are super quality. All are for sale and we can
ship or deliver any of these to your garden or home. These are
botanical garden quality plants. There is diversity in the
appearance of E. trispinosus in terms of leaflet appearance.
You'll note that here. All like full sun along the coast and are
cold tolerant to about 22 degrees F.

We also have larger plants than these for sale as well as much smaller.
We've got a size for you. Just call us or drop by and we'll find
the perfect blue cycad for your yard.

For you cycad enthusiasts out there, you are aware
that, for any given species of cycad, there is variability in the visual
appearance of the leaflets. I think you can see that with the
E. trispinosus
above. But, in no other species, is this variability as pronounced
as with the dwarf Mexican cycad
Ceratozamia hildae.

C. hildae are known for having separated
groups of leaflets on the leaf stem. These are matched from side
to side. Sometimes the leaflets are grouped in six's, sometimes
you see simple wide leaflets in two's, and everything in between.
This post emphasizes this difference in the appearance of all the plants
of this species. You really start to notice this when you grow a
lot of cycads. And, to some extent, it's unpredictable as to what
any given seed batch will give. Sort of like how your kids will
look, huh?

BTW, plants like filtered light, take down to about
23 degrees F., and lever get over about 4 feet tall, ground to the top
of the leaves.

This species never makes a large plant. But, it does resemble the
classic "Tree Fern". It has a short, small trunk 3 to 4 inches in
diameter, an overall height typically of under six feet and crown widtch
of four feet. It prefers filtered light and will tolerate temperatures
into the 20's F. People in the San Francisco area are growing this
species. Be aware that this species, like all ferns, needs water.

Note that there are many species of "Blechnum Ferns". I apologize that
I don't know the species name of these plants we got
in, but they will remain small and are very nice.
REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $45

Just mention this blog only special when purchasing to get this price.

Compared to the miniature tree fern above, this
one is very large. In habitat it can reach heights of 40 feet. It also
has a wide crown with leaves up to eight feet. Trunk diameter can be six
to eight inches. It likes lots of water and is also somewhat cold
hardy; it grows well in the SF Bay area. It is a medium rate growing
plant and needs filtered light but sometimes takes full sun right on the
coast.REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $45

Just mention this Blog Special when
purchasing to get the discounted price.

This medium sized tree fern gets up to a height
of about fifteen feet. The trunk is more narrow, typically about four
inches. And, the crown is smaller as well. It is slow growing. The
botanical name is Dicksonia antarctica. To look good, it also
likes lots of water and prefers filtered light. Some coastal areas get
away with full sun.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $65TEN DAY SPECIAL $45

Just mentnion this special at the time of purchase to get the discount.

ENCEPHALARTOS FEROXSOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD WITH RED CONETEN DAY SPECIAL TWO SMALL SIZES!

This special is probably more designed
for mail order customers as both sizes are small and easy to ship. This
cycad comes from the Republic of South Africa and is often said to look
like a Holly Fern. It develops wide leaflets that do have spines at the
leaf margins. It forms a very short trunk and is never over six to
eight feet tall. The amazing thing is the red cones produced,
especially with female plants. (see photos).

We are offering bare root seedlings and our band size on special as
shown here.

REGULAR PRICE BARE ROOT $25
REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE THIS SPECIES $35TEN DAY SPECIAL BARE ROOT: #3 FOR $45TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $25 EACH

You must mention this Blog Only
Special when ordering to get this price. S/H not included with these
prices.

HOWEA FORSTERIANAHUGE ONE
GALLON PLANTS
GREAT HOUSEPLANT!TEN
DAY SPECIAL 1G SIZE I've talked extensively at my Blog today
about this species. It prefers filtered light or perhaps full day sun
on the coast. It's one of the best interior palms there is. We have
available huge 1g pots. They are bigger than most nurseries' 5g
plants. We have singles or multiples. Some are six feet tall! Can be
mail ordered but a tall box.

REGULAR PRICE THESE OVERSIZED 1G PLANT $45TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $35

You must mention this Blog Only
Special to get this reduced price.

ZAMIA PAUCIJUGARARE DWARF MEXICAN ZAMIA (CYCAD)TEN DAY SPECIAL
OLD 5G PLANTS
ONLY A FEW PLANTS LEFT

I acquired a batch of 5g plants of this species
from a private collector. They are quite old, over ten years or more
since germination. By report, seeds were authenticated by experts.
This is a small species, rarely over 3 feet in height. It tolerates
coastal sun or filtered light. There are essentially no pictures of
this species on the Internet. You've probably never seen coning sized
plants like this for sale. The plants on special are coning and a few
are suckering. Caudex size is about 4 inches, mature. This is an ideal
plant for someone who wants a small cycad near a pathway or in the
foreground of the garden. It is also a very nice potted patio plant.
Exact cold tolerance is unknown, but it's definitely into the twenties
F.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 5G PLANTS $250TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $150

You must mention this Blog only
special when purchasing. I've only get about five to ten left. This is
a great price on such a rare cycad. And, I only have a few left.

BRAHEA EDULISSHORTER, COLD HARDY FAN PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This is single trunk fan palm from
Guadalupe Island, Mexico. It has a rather stout trunk and gets about
ten feet of trunk in thirty years. It is cold hardy well into the teens
F. and loves full, hot sun. It can be grown in desert areas. It is also
a good oceanfront palm and tolerates salt airs. (see photo of plants
right by Mission Bay). It is fairly slow growing. Also, for some
reason, it is difficult to find. We are offering nice 5g plants on
sale.

REGULAR PRICE 5G PLANTS $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $45

Blog only price. Mention this
special when ordering to get this price. My supply of these is
diminishing as many people order these mail order for colder areas.

SABAL MEXICANA
MEDIUM TO TALL FAN PALM TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

At one time this species was much more prevalent
in Texas, but in recent times its numbers have dwindled. Native habitat
extends from Texas down through Latin America on both coastal sides of
these countries. In habitat, specimens up to fifty feet have been
observed. Trunks are straight and columnar. Trunk diameter is
typically twelve to eighteen inches. Most domestic plants are in the
twenty to thirty foot range. Old leaf bases are retained in the upper
trunk area but will fall way with age. The crown is green with a hint
of silver and full. This species is similar to Sabal palmetto
but usually bigger with a larger crown of leaves. Like the Palmetto
Palm, it is very cold hardy, perhaps even to ten degrees F.

Shown here are some 5g plants which I'm putting on special. I've also
shown a 15g and some garden plants. This is a full sun species and a
great selection for someone in a colder area.

This is a large flowering tree that is native to
arid areas in Africa. It can get to heights over fifty feet. It has
long lasting, orange-red blossoms that last for months on the tree. It
is fast growing and cold tolerant perhaps into the mid-twenties F. It
likes full sun. I have seen trees in full blossom with just as much
color in Southern California as you see in the picture below.

We are offering nice 15g trees on sale. They are actually still holding
onto some blossoms in late November showing how the blossoms last so
long. Limited numbers available.

REGULAR PRICE 15G SIZE $175TEN DAY SPECIAL $95!

Just mention this special when
purchasing to get this price.

photo taken November 19, 2013

from Maui Plant Chronicles Website

THURSDAY, 16 OCTOBER, 2014

AGAVE VILMORINIANATHE BLUE OCTUPUS AGAVETEN DAY SPECIAL LARGE 15G PLANTS

This interesting xerophytic succulent gets to a
mature height of about four feet. It is native to Mexico and loves
full hot sun. Cold tolerance is down to about 22 degree, much like
many cycads. It is called "Octopus Agave" because of the reflexed
leaves as shown on the mature plants to the right. Leaves are a
definite blue color.

We're putting our 15g on sale here. But, we
also have or can get 5g which I'd also give a discount on. This
species is native to Mexico.REGULAR PRICE 15G THIS SPECIES $150TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $95

Just mention this Blog Only Special when purchasing
to get this price. I don't have too many, so don't dally and call
to confirm availability.

While I'm on the subject of xerophytic plants, I
thought I'd show another Agave that conserves water, takes hot sun and
never gets over about five or six feet tall. This species is
similar to the Octopus Agave above but will form a few feet of trunk
over many years. The older specimens below (not available at this
time) demonstrate the peculiar, somewhat curved and irregular trunks.
Coupled with the bizarre head of leaves on these trunks, the plants are
a bit comical and whimsical. Thus, many call them a 'Doctor Seuss
Plant".

Native to Mexico, they are not quite as cold hardy
as the Octopus Agave, typically taking into the mid-twenties F.
They tolerate drought conditions and don't take very much water to live.
The plants we're putting on special at the 15g shown in the first few
photos. They have at most about a foot of trunk. The large,
overhead specimens all sold out for a mansion up in Northern California
this summer. But, get one of the plants we have and you'll have
this same look in not too many years.

REGULAR PRICE 15G THIS SPECIES $150TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE $115

Just mention this Special when ordering to get this
price.

15g in the back, 5g in the front

These larger sizes no longer available

These larger sizes no longer available

These larger sizes no longer available

These larger sizes no longer available

AGAVE ATTENUATA
VARIEGATEDGREEN ON YELLOW LEAVESA FEW 15G AVAILABLE

Although not on sale, I
thought I'd show you photos of an unusual variegated form of Agave
attenuata. This plant has a background lime green color with
a darker green along the edges of the leaves. I only have two of
these. They are hard to find.

This is a variety of the South African cycad known
as Encephalartos altensteinii. It
develops a large trunk and plants can get to twenty feet tall. A
hallmark of E.
altensteinii is the bare leaf stem near
the caudex (without spines or prickles). The Bushman River variety
is known to be the most robust plant of the group with stiff, leathery
leaves and lots of spines on the leaflets. It comes from the
region of the Bushman River in the Natal district. I am showing
two nursery plants here of this variety.

The last photo shows how sometimes the leaves are
not perfectly flat. Note the large spines on the margins. If
you could feel them they'd feel stiff, leathery and firm. The
first plant has about a ten inch caduex. The second a twelve to
thirteen inch caudex. This species wants full coastal sun and is
cold hardy down to about 22 degrees F.

The Hedychium
Gingers are by far my favorite. I
say this because they have huge blossoms that are unbelievably fragrant.
Although short lived, these blossoms can be a foot across and eighteen
inches tall. They bloom in mid-summer. Compared to the shell
ginger, it's a no-brainer. These are better. They get to a
height of about six feet and tolerate part day sun or filtered light.
Along the coast they take full sun. Cold hardiness is into the
mid-twenties F. We are putting old 15g plants on special.

REGULAR PRICE OLD 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $125

Just mention this Blog Special when purchasing to
get this price.

DICHORISANDRA
THYRIFLORATHE BLUE GINGERTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G PLANTS

This "Ginger" is not actually a true ginger
but in the spiderwort family and native to North, Central and South
America. It is so rare to see flowers that are actually blue in
color. Well, this is one. We have limited supply of
nice, established 5g plants in flower right now. These are not as
cold hardy as the Hedychium above, but can be grown in warmer
coastal areas of Southern California. Plants are about three to
four feet tall. they like filtered light.REGULAR PRICE THESE 5G PLANTS $75TEN DAY SPCIAL $45 THIS SIZE

If you go back in this thread about eight days ago
you'll see that we are having a Blowout Sale on blue African
cycad offsets. We've place a price of $100 per inch on
them. Of this group, the most sought after by far is E.
princeps. This is because you normally pay a premium for this
species. All are blue plants from gorgeous parents. All were
removed this past spring and will throw leaves soon. Once they
throw leaves, the price increases dramatically. At $100 per inch
they are a wholesale price for sure.

So, the first two photos show Encephalarts
princeps in their rooting offset form. These offsets are
eight to ten inches thick. Not too pretty, right? Well look
at the third and fourth photo taken this summer from two offsets that
threw leaves. They were sold quickly at a higher price. Now
look at the other photos of garden plants. You'll not find a more
affordable way to add a big blue cycad to your garden. Granted,
they are not as strong as an old, rooted out plant. But, given
time, they will be. If you grew such plants as shown here from seed, you
might have gray hair before you get plants like we're selling here.

We are also offering Encephalartos horridus, trispinosus,
lehmannii and blue arenarius.

The interesting thing about this popular hybrid is
that it looks nothing like either parent, is a good growing palm and is
cold hardy down to about 16 to 17 degrees F. So, it gives
people in colder areas the opportunity to grow a tropical appearing
palm. It is a full sun species. It even does well in hot
desert areas like Phoenix and Tucson, right in full sun. Some feel
that mature trees resemble the Coconut Palm (see last photo).
These plants are produced by hand pollination of the Butia capitata
flowers with pollen from a Queen Palm. Therefore, they are
hard to find and always pricey.

We'r offering the popular 5g size on special.
These can be easily shipped. They are about five feet tall.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 5G PLANTS $95TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $75.OTHER SIZES 15% OFF WITH COUPON
THROUGH SATURDAY

But, you must mention this Blog Special to get the
discount when you purchase.

15G size

25g size

36 inch boxes available

photo by MH

photo by M.H.

CYCAS DEBAOENSISA BRANCHING LEAF CYCADONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL CYCADS AROUNDAND, ONE OF THE MOST RARE CYCADS AROUNDTEN DAY SPECIAL ON LARGER PLANTS

Over the years, I've discussed this sought after
Chinese species of cycad several times. It is so unusual because
the leaf stems branch and then those stems branch again. So, it's
a "trifurcating leaf cycad". Photos here demonstrate this trait.
What you may not realize is the rarity of this species. It's
protected presently in the wild. Fourteen years ago, single leaf
seedlings were selling overseas for $2500 each! They are much more
affordable now, but never cheap.

The caudex remains small, typically not over 8
inches. Leaves emerge and go straight up with a gentle curve.
Leaf color is green. Mature plants hold three to four leaves.
Their garden footprint is small. These plants are reasonably cold
hardy for their genus, gong down into the lower 20's f. They like
filtered light. We only have a limited number of old plants in 15
and 20g pots. But, we're putting them on special.

20% OFF ANY PLANT WE HAVE THIS SPECIES

Just mention this Special when purchasing to get
the discount.

TUESDAY, 14 OCTOBER, 2014

HYOPHORBE
VERSCHAFELTIITHE SPINDLE PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This interesting and beautiful palm species is
native to the Mascarene Islands and is a sun loving species that is slow
growing and of small to medium mature height. A twenty year old
plant may have only five feet of trunk and be ten feet tall overall.
Maximum height is fifteen and rarely twenty feet. In contrast to
the Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis),
the swell in the trunk is off the ground, often in the mid or upper
trunk. The Bottle Palm swells at the base and gets more narrow
toward the upper trunk.

Cold hardiness is only down to about a freeze. In our area, there
are quite a few people who have grown this species to good size.
But, if your garden sees hard freezes, this species will be difficult.
The plants shown here are locally grown and have seen temperatures
already down to about 33 degrees.

At the nursery we get many calls for "Bottle Palms". If you scan
all gardens in Southern California, there are very few alive outdoors
over time. Almost all die from the cold. A far preferable
choice is the Spindle Palm. With it, most good growing areas have
a chance of success. Concerning is the fact that many depot stores
will offer the Bottle Palms in California knowing well that almost 100%
of them will die outdoors.

The island of New Caledonia is home to many
fantastic and desirable palms for those of us in Southern California.
Most notable among these is the Flame Thrower Palm, Chambeyronia.
Kentiopsis oliviformis would be another. It is a good growing
species with a thin trunk and very upright green leaves. Mature
height averages twenty-five to thirty feet. Trunk diameter is
about eight inches. On sun grown species there is a bit of
blue-green to the leaf color. In coastal areas this species easily
tolerates full sun. If you are far inland, consider part day sun
or strong filtered light.

On special today are locally grown 5g plants that
are of very nice size. Cold tolerance is at least 25 degrees, so
enthusiasts in our area can grow this species. On the fourth
photo, note the light colored scales on the leaf stems - a
characteristic of this species when young.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $55

But, you must mention this Blog Only Special at
time of purchase to get the discount. Most of the garden shots
here were taken locally.

A lot of people like the Areca Palm, Dypsis
lutescens. But, some people don't like yellow and the Areca
Palm is loaded with yellow on the trunks and leaf stems. For these
folks, a good alternative is the Dypsis cabadae. It has
replaced the yellow with silver-green. And, it has thicker and
stronger trunks. Mature height is taller than the Areca palm at
twenty-five feet. Trunk diameters can be six inches. It is a
good growing palm.

Along the coast it takes full or part day sun.
Far inland areas would consider only a small amount of sun. Cold
tolerance is into the upper twenties F. We usually have 5g and
sometimes 15g plants for sale. Growth rate is medium.

For fun, two of the last photos show the prominence of yellow on
Dypsis lutescens. I'd say that the Areca Palm has the most
yellow of almost all the Dypsis that I've seen. It's a
great palm but some people just don't like that color.

This is a suckering, semi-dwarf,
green and thin trunked palm that comes from Mexico.
Over time it forms a very nice clump for filtered light
conditions. It is a simple leaf palm as you can
see in the photos. Leaf tips are blunt. The leaf
surface is a bit wavy and sometimes a bit of a mottled
green color. And, the new stems emerging do so in a
unique fashion.

It is called "stolinifera" because it forms new
"stolons". These are vegetative stems
that emerge from the base of an older trunk. They then
shoot laterally, sometimes below the soil's surface, to
reappear a short distance from the mother stem. They
look like "snakes" going over the soil surface. Often
they'll wildly shoot out of the pot, then turn upwards
to form a new vertical stem. This ability to shoot out
new stolons often creates a very wide mature clump.

But, then don't get very tall, typically about six feet
or a bit more. Leaves are green in color. Stems are a
quarter inch thick. This is a filtered light species
with a cold hardiness into the low 20's F.

This species is native to mountainous areas in Mexico at
about 2500 feet. We have a nice selection of
stolinifera for sale including pots that have both
sexes in the same container. Our selection includes one
and two gallon plants for sale. It's a great garden
species. People are easily growing it in San Francisco
and cooler areas. We usually propagate vegetatively and
hold back a few mother plants for this purpose. The
stolons are easy to re-establish in a pot. I highly
recommend this species.

As this single trunk species does not
produce suckers, it is entirely propagated from seeds. Compare this to
the species described above. Like stolinifera above, it
has simple, solid leaves but the leaves of this species are larger.
I've had plants where the width is about 14 inches and the length 16
inches. They are solid and bifed with fairly blunt endings.
The leaf thickness is not as thick as stolinifera.

Stem size is about 1/3 to 1/2 inch. Growth is vertical.
Mature height can reach six to eight feet. They look very nice as
a colony of three or more plants side by side. The first several
pictures here show a grouping of multiple smaller plants. If seeds
were super abundant, I would only grow these with three plants per pot
as such plants are super attractive. Growth rate is slow to medium.
This species, because it holds multiple wide leaves, is very good
looking from above.

It is a filtered light species and does not appreciate too much sun
exposure. We have a nice selection of smaller plants available and
also some mature, overhead very old plants. Cold tolerance is into
the low 20's F. We can easily ship multiple plants to you in one
box.

RED, CLUSTERING NEROGELIA
MATURE BROMELIAD PLANTSTEN DAY SPECIAL

We've been offering these
plants for years and seldom do they go on sale. This is a smaller
Nerogelia
that can take some sun, even full sun along the immediate coast.
They turn from green to bright red in the sun. They are compact
and low. In three or four years you'll get many heads and they are
tightly held together. The plants we have presently are older and
have about fifteen heads. They are a very full cluster. They
tolerate temperatures into the twenties F. They add nice color to
the garden.

REGULAR PRICE THESE PLANTS $55TEN DAY SPECIAL $40

You must mention this Blog only special when purchasing. Limited
numbers.

The first time I ever saw this species of
Syagrus, I swore I saw a crown shaft on it. But, as you may know,
Syagrus do not have crown shafts. On close inspection, this
species doesn't have one, but it could fool you. And, it's very dark in
color, with a green-almost black color. This is one thing that made it
appealing to me.

The mature palm is also not that big; perhaps 25 feet or so. It is
native to Brazil. It has attractive plumose leaves and a rather thin
trunk for a Syagrus. The base is a bit swollen. Leaflets are
long and narrow. It is a sun plant. Because it's so rare, cold
tolerance is not precisely known but my observations so far are that
it'l be somewhere in the mid to upper twenties F. At our nursery it's
taken a freeze without damage.

Shown here is a nice 15g plant. We have several of assorted sizes for
sale. It's an attractive new species to add to your garden.

Syagrus picrophylla by Gileno Machado, PACSOA

SABAL URESANATHE MOST BLUE SABAL THERE IS AND IT'S COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL ALL SIZES WE HAVE!

Sabal uresana in native to northern
Mexico. In habitat it sees very hot and dry sun. And, it's exposed to
weather in the teens F. on occasion. It is most known by the intense
blue color to the leaves. Look at the habitat photo below. Also, it is
blue even as a seedling plant as show here. As a nursery plant, the
roots are very aggressive, filling up the pot (see last photo). Cold
tolerance is well into the teens F. One of our customers in a Gulf
State reported it was the most cold hardy of any Sabal he had
tried. But, I'm not sure this is true. In the garden, it gets to a
height of about 20 to 25 feet. The trunk is 18 inches or less in
diameter.

TEN DAY SPECIAL: 20% OFF ANY SIZE WE
SELL!

We have 15g, 5g, citrus pots, and possibly some smaller plants still
available. You must mention this website special when purchasing to get
this discount.

15g plant

15g plants

Sabal uresana in habitat by J.S.

left to right: 2 g, band, citrus pot

note blue leaf color, even when young and in the
greenhouse

note aggressive roots, even on a seedling

BISMARCKIA SPECIES MAYOTTE
ISLANDA BISMARCKIA BUT WITHOUT THE BLUETEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZED PLANTS

One of the favorite characteristics of
Bismarckia is the blue color to the leaves. But, there is a green
variety on the island of Madagascar. At another location, there is an
endemic green Bismarckia known as the "Mayotte Island"
form. There is very little published about it. It likes sun and is
probably cold hardy into the mid-teens F. Most feel it's not quite as
cold hardy as the blue form. The photo below is by Tim Brian in HI. It
is similar but not the same as the Mayotte Island form. The
latter has a lot of red in the petiole and stem. It of course is a full
sun palm.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE $40

You must mention this Blog Only price at time of purchase to get this
special price.

This rare and hard to find
species of South American fan palm was previously known as
Trithrinax biflabellata. It is not quite as
blue as campestris and perhaps a
bit taller when mature. It does sucker. The leaflet tips are softer
than the pungent campestris.
On sale are these outdoor grown 15g plants. It likes full sun and is
pretty cold hardy, possibly into the upper teens F. It is possible to
mail order this larger 15g size, but we do have 5g as well. These
15g plants are probably about 8 years old. You never see them
around this size.

REGULAR PRICE OLD 15G PLANTS $185TEN DAY SPECIAL $150

As usual, mention our Blog when ordering to get this price.

DIOON CAPUTOISMALLER AND RARE MEXICAN CYCAD

Today I thought I'd mention a different type of
thin leaflet cycad. Dioon caputoi is a very rare species of
Dioon with its habitat being in the area of Pueblo in the
country of Mexico. Several decades ago one could only dream about this
species with only about a hundred plants in habitat. In the 1990's,
some seeds did come out of habitat and it is occasionally seen for
sale. It is not a big cycad. Trunks are typically one to two feet,
rarely to three feet. The leaflets are very thin with gaps between the
leaflets. The color is green or gray-green. Leaves are stiff and
usually two to three feet long.

It is slow growing and prefers sun along the coast or very bright
filtered light. It is an endangered species and next to impossible to
find in a nursery. We are quite fortunate to offer you plants in a
variety of sizes, from band up to 15g size. Mature plant photos and a
female cone are provided by a friend of mine, Mark Mason. Although the
coldest limit is not known, I'd estimate cold tolerance to be in the
upper teens F.

SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER, 2014

TROPICAL PLANT LANDSCAPE
PACKAGE #1HUGE PLANTS THAT CAN BE MOVED BY HANDLIMITED TIME SPECIAL OFFERING

Jungle Music wants to make it easy for those who are looking to
landscape your yards. So, we are offering a package at a great
price. This includes the following plants (photos in same order):

#2 Archontophoenix cunninghamiana in 24 inch boxes. These are huge plants in a heavy box, yet
because it's a 24 inch size, men can dolly and plant these monsters.
Heights are about sixteen feet with lots of brown wood.#1 Howea forsteriana, huge
25g with trunk. Sun grown plants that are begging to be put in the
ground. Just beautiful species and plants.#1 Pritchardia species, huge
15g. These are equivalent to 24 inch boxed plants and sun grown.
Only native palm species of Hawaii. Medium mature height at
fifteen to twenty feet.#1 Dioon spinulosum, full
cycad for a part day sun location, full, lush green and gorgeous.#1 Cycas thouarsii, 15g, can
tolerate sun in many areas, medium mature size to about twelve feet or
taller in decades.#2 Alocasia Cal - Odora, a
dwarf green Alocasia that doesn't get over about four feet
tall. Tolerates coastal sun or part day sun.#3 Ti plants,
either red or pink, like filtered light, add color to the garden.

Many of these plants are very large, too big to transport by pickup.
So, a you would need to rent a delivery box van or have us deliver
(charge applies). All are great species.

REGULAR RETAIL PRICE THIS PACKAGE $2825TEN DAY SPECIAL PRICE THIS
PACKAGE $1899THATS A 33% DISCOUNT ON THE
PACKAGE

We have limited numbers of these plants so this special could sell out.
Call us for more information. Minor substitutions may be
considered. These plants are all easy to grow outdoors in our
locality. Coupons cannot be applied to this package. Photos
of species are in the same order as above.

We offering a second package of smaller yet super desirable species that
can be grown in most gardens in our area. These plants are in the
5g size. We may consider minor substitutions.

#2 Howea forsteriana multiples, 5g size, huge
for their pots#1 Pritchardia species, huge
and nice 5g plant#1 Ravenea glauca, nice plants that will get
to 20 feet and take sun#1 Chambeyronia macrocarpa, the Flame Thrower Palm
that has a newly emerging red leaf#1 Bismarckia nobilis, the blue fan palm from
Madagascar that can get to 30 feet, loves sun and heat and is just
gorgeous when larger.#1 Dioon spinulosum in a 5g pot#1 Cycas thouarsii from Madagascar in a 5g pot

REGULAR RETAIL PRICE THIS 8 PLANT PACKAGE
$750
TEN DAY SPECIAL PRICE THIS PACKAGE $535THAT'S ALMOST 30% OFF DURING THIS SALE

This is an affordable package of tropical palms and cycads to get your
garden going. All are easy to grow. Minor substitutions
considered. These plants would fit into an SUV or pickup easily.
Coupons cannot be used for this package or other already discount
promotions. These plants can be shipped if you live out of our
area.

This is an extremely slow growing species from New
Caledonia that gets a trunk about four inches thick, gets to height in
decades of no more than twenty feet, and prefers a filtered light
location. New leaves can emerge red. The plants shown here
are almost 2.5 years old. It's nearly impossible for us to ever
grow these to a fifteen gallon size because of the time required and
because they always sell out quickly. These are super rare and
hard to find.

REGULAR PRICE 1G THIS SPECIES $40TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE/SPECIES $30

Just mention this Special to get the discount when
you purchase.

COPERNICIA BAILEYANAONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER FAN PALMS IN THE
WORLDSEVEN YEAR OLD 5G PLANTSTEN DAY SPECIAL

If you poll palm enthusiasts about their favorite
fan palm, many will mention this species in their top five choices.
It can get to forty feet tall, has a thick light gray trunk, and stiff
upright, very flat leaves. Most consider this species to be one of
the most beautiful palms there is. And, fortunate for us in
California, this species can be grown well in our full sun well.
The plants on special have been in these pots for years and are begging
to go into the ground. They grow much faster in the garden. Cold
hardiness is probably about 24 degrees.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $55

Just mention this Special when purchasing to get
the discount.

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUSLARGE ROOTING OUT OFFSET SEVEN INCHESTEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT

Three days ago I announced the special I'm having
on our blue African cycads. Of these, probably the most sought
after species is Encephalartos horridus. It has gnarly,
spiny leaves and is super blue. Mature size is rarely over four to
five feet tall. It's a rather small plant and does great in a pot.
It likes sun and can go down to about 21 degrees F. This offset is
a bit over seven inches and in a 15g pots. It has already started
to root but not yet thrown leaves. As soon as leaves appear, the
price will go up. But, we can leaf out purchased plants for you
and ship later. So, you can't lose!

SPECIAL TEN DAY PRICE THIS PLANT $700

You must mention this Blog Special when purchasing.
Don't dally. It'll sell soon.

a different but comparable horridus
caudex
after flushing out. Note still in pumice.

SATURDAY, 11 OCTOBER, 2014

CRYOSOPHILA
STAURACANTHATHE STAR PALMTALK ABOUT WHITE UNDERSIDE LEAVES!TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This is a thin trunked tropical fan palm with a
natural distribution that extends from Mexico down to northern South
America. It is known for the intense white powder on the underside
of the leaves. This is one of the main points I'm trying to show
this morning. Trunk diameter is anywhere from three to eight
inches and overall height can reach thirty feet or more. Leaves
are palmate and divided as shown here. But, the white on the
underside is intense. Looking up you into an overhead palm you see
nothing but white stars. Thus the common name.

Growth rate is average. They like part sun or
filtered light. Cold hardiness is uncertain but probably the mid
to upper twenties F. Addendum: a long time customer called and
asked me why I didn't mention the interesting spines on the trunk.
This genus forms modified roots that appear as trunk spines, especially
near the base of the trunk.

We're offering band size, 1.5 year old seedlings on
special. Remember to mention this Blog Special when purchasing to
get the discount.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $30TEN DAY SPECIAL $20

5g nursery plant

same plant showing super white underside of leaf

photo by TS of RPS

DIOON JICALA HIDALGOCOLD HARDY MEXICAN CYCADOLD, MATURE DECADES OLD PLANT WITH NEW THROW OF
LEAVESTEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT

Many of the Mexican Dioons are
named by their native locality. Such is the case of this variety
of Dioon edule. It comes from
the Jacala district of Hidalgo. It is a high elevation cycad,
growing up to 4500 feet. It has flat green leaves to four or five
feet length and a yellow color to the rachis/petiole. Leaflets
have revolute margins. Growth rate is slow. This plant has a
caudex that is an estimated 14 inches tall. I'd say the age is
twenty years or more. We've had this plant for a long time.

It wants full sun. cold tolerance is one of
the best for cycads - probably about 18 degrees.

TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT! 25% OFF
REGULAR RETAIL PRICE!

ENCEPHALARTOS
APLANATUSSHADE GROWING RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCADTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE PLANTS

This South African cycad is rarely seen for sale.
It comes from Swaziland. It grows in filtered light areas and is
similar to E. villosus. But, it has wider leaflets,
longer leaves and does not sucker. Leaves can get to ten feet
long. Cold tolerance is about 22 degrees F.

REGLAR PRICE BAND SIZE $75TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $50

To get this discount, mention this Blog Special

Picture c/o PlantsZAfrica website

BRAHEA DECUMBENSDWARF, BLUE, COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

For the first time ever, I
am offering this rare, hard to find, super slow growing blue, suckering
fan palm from Mexico. It doesn't get much over six or seven feet tall,
forms suckers over time, and is as blue as Brahea armata.
But, the interesting thing, is that the blue color comes with age and is
hardly ever seen in a smaller containerized plant. It is a sun species
with cold tolerance down to 16 or 17 degrees F.

Our special is on the five gallon sized plants. They are green now but
will turn blue in the sun and in the ground. Limited supplies are
available. These plants are five years old.

REGULAR PRICE 5g $75TEN DAY SPECIAL $55

You must mention this Blog only special when purchasing to get this
price.

JUBAEA CHILENSIS,
THE CHILEAN WINE PALMMASSIVE TRUNK AND SLOW GROWING
MANY SIZES AVAILABLE

This popular South American palm is known by many
of you. So, I thought I'd just add a few facts that you might not be
aware of:

• Some Jubaea trees make seeds that
appear to be "duds" and germinate poorly. Other trees make easy to
germinate seeds. It's "tree specific" by observations.
• Germination of seeds is sporadic, sometimes quick an sometimes slow
• Jubaea seeds are super simple to clean. Simply pull back
the fruit a shown.
• Jubaea fruit is reportedly edible. I know squirrels and rats
love the fruit.
• Nursery production of a 15g plant can take from five to seven years.
This is a slow growing species.
• Putting juvenile plants in the ground may speed up growth compared to
pots, but they are still slow
• In the ground, it takes 20 years to get ten feet of trunk
• Jubaea are a great plant for hybridization with other genera
• Trunks can get up to a four foot diameter, the fattest trunk of any
palm tree

We have quite a few sizes available. This is a sun species with cold
tolerance to about 16 degrees F.

There are two ways to get a cycad going. The
first is by seeds. One germinates the seed and then can wait for
ten years or more to get a good sized plant. The other way is to
remove and establish a "pup" or "offset" from a large mother plant and
root/leaf it out. The latter technique is what I'm discussing
here. These offsets were removed from large blue domestic Encephalartos
and are of excellent quality. They will match perfectly the parent
plant.

These were removed this past spring. All are
of good size, ranging from four to
ten inches. All are blue.
All are rooting out in pumice. This special is for rooting
caudexes that have not yet thrown leaves from this batch of offsets.
Once a plant throws leaves, it is sold at a different price. But,
these all should throw nice leaves within the next three to six months.
As many of you know, blue Encephalartos (species listed above)
typically sell for $150 per inch of caudex and E. princeps go for
even more. This special Blog price is for the diameter of a round
caudex. When much larger and older, vertical heights do apply and
such a plant costs more. Our special discount applies to only this
batch of offsets we got in several months ago. This group consists
of about twenty-five offsets.

TEN DAY DISCOUNTED PRICE THESE OFFSETS:
$100 PER INCH

No other coupons or discounts apply. Also,
good for many of you, we are willing to keep the plants at the nursery,
flush out purchased plants for the customer and ship them when leaves
harden off.

This is the most affordable way to get good size on
these great blue cycads. The promotion started yesterday and some
have already sold. So, don't miss out.

Eight inch Encephalartos princeps

Encephalartos horridus about to throw

Leafed off E. lehmannii, already sold

E. princeps established in garden

E. horridus
in garden

LEPIDOZAMIA HOPEIUSER FRIENDLY CYCAD - NO SPINESGORGEOUS LARGE PLANTTEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT

Native to Australia, this is the more rare species
of Lepidozamia. It (in several centuries) will be the tallest
of any cycad. Trunks can get over forty feet. Compared to
Lepidozamia peroffskyana,
the leaflets of L. hopei are wider. I think it's a more attractive
plant. And, for sure, it's much harder to find, especially with
any size. This species can take full sun along the coast.
However, I recommend part day sun here and strong filtered light far
inland. This sale plant is drop dead beautiful. It's in a 7g
pot and has a seven inch caudex. It can be shipped. Cold
tolerance is down to about 22 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE THIS PLANT $700TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT $550

Some have even used this plant in shopping centers
and inside the home. Remember, NO spines. To get this
special price, mention this Blog Only Special when purchasing.

This and the next four pics show plant on special

close up photo of a hopei leaf

larger boxed sized plants

CARYOTA GIGASTHICK TRUNKED FISHTAIL PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This gorgeous palm species is native to northern
Thailand and over the years has been known by many common names such as
"Black Stem", "King Kong" and "Thai Mountain Giant Palm". It gets
to a height of about 35 feet, has a very thick trunk at the base, has
bipinnate leaves (branched - rare for palms) and is super attractive.
In most coastal areas it takes full sun, responds to adequate water, and
is cold hardy down to the low 20's F. The 5g plants shown here are
the ones on special.

This is a slow growing, suckering fan palm from
Haiti and Dominican Republic. It has the most peculiar but
organized pattern of spines on the trunks compared to all others.
If you like spines, you'll love this one. I realize some people
don't. It is slow growing but surprisingly can be grown in many
areas of Southern California. It gets mature height of about
twelve feet and likes sun and heat. Cold tolerance is perhaps to
the mid to upper twenties F. We only have a handful of these in 5g
size. The one shown we've been growing for five years.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $55

Just mention this Blog Only Special when
purchasing.

WEDNESDAY, 8 OCTOBER, 2014

UNKNOWN ENCEHALARTOS
SPECIESCENTRAL AFRICAN

This is a cycad that we're not sure on which
species it actually is. We've had it for well over a decade (from
a small plant) and imported it. It was lost in our inventory.
It comes from Central Africa and possibly the Congo. But, it
doesn't look like the other known species from there. It has very
long leaves for it's caudex size and these are gently arched and not
super upright. Leaflets are long but without prominent spines at
the end and only a few on the margins. On causal glance, one
might think it's an Encephalartos whitelockii, but it's not. It
just looks different and the leaves/leaflets aren't right. Jesse
thinks (after studying it) that it could be Encephalartos bunia.

It's in a 7g pot and has a 5 inch caudex. It
is for sale of course. I'd welcome comments from anyone who thinks
they know what it is. Just email me.

CERATOZAMIA HILDAESIMPLE LEAF FORM

I just anted to quickly show you an unusual form for this dwarf Mexican
cycad. Ceratozamia hildae is known for it's grouping of
leaflets. On either side of the stem you usually see two or three
leaflets. But, we had a batch of seeds that produced the most
unusual looking hildaes as shown in the first two photos.
They are simple in form. the are blunt and wide. The third
photos shows the expected and more typical appearance for this species.

We only have one or two of these left and, of course, this plant is for
sale. It's in a citrus pot and has about a two inch caudex.
It can easily be shipped.

a different plant with typical leaves

CERATOZAMIA
SPECIESRED, SPINELESS PETIOLE

Since I'm showing different
and odd plants that seem to stump us, I thought I'd show you another.
This is a Ceratozamia. It's different because it has
reddish colored petioles (leaf stems) that have no spines. Most
Ceratozamia petioles have small spines. One would, of
course, consider C. microstrobilus. But, the leaflets of
this plant are totally different. So, we don't know what it is.
It's got a caudex of about 2.5 inches and has proven to be a slow
grower. It would be a filtered light plant with reasonably good
cold tolerance. If you like unusual cycads, it is for sale. We
only have this one plant.

ENCEPHALARTOS
NUBIMONTANUSBLUE CYCAD FROM THE TRANSVAALRARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

This extremely rare blue cycad
comes from the Transvaal region of the Republic of South Africa.
It is a medium sized species with blue upright leaflets as shown here.
It is coveted by collectors. This is a difficult species to
obtain. This particular plant is in a 5g pot and has a three inch
caudex. It likes full sun along the coast and is a medium rate
growing species. This plant is for sale and can be easily shipped.

Two days ago I discussed this species and thought
I'd show you another nursery plant. This specimen has a five to
six inch main caudex and a two inch sucker. It has great color as
shown. There are characteristics of this particular plant that
might make you think that it's the "dwarf form" of this species.
It's been outdoor grown in sun and would be very easy to ship. If
you like this plant you should drop by or call me. This is because
I'm offering 20% off retail on
this particular plant.

RAVENEA HILDEBRANDTII
DWARF PALM FROM MADAGASCAR

Shown here is a nice 2 gallon Ravenea hidlebrandtii.
This is a dwarf species that doesn't get much over
eight feet tall. The trunk is quite narrow as
shown on the mature palm. I've found it to be slow
growing. Leaves are short and the crown is small.
I'd recommend filtered light or part day sun for this
species. Cold tolerance is into the upper, perhaps
mid-twenties F.

TUESDAY, 7 OCTOBER, 2014

FICUS ROXBURGHIISIMILAR TO FICUS DAMMAROPSISLARGE LEAF TROPICAL TREETEN DAY SPECIAL

For those of you who like our recently offered
Ficus dammaropsis, you're going to
also love this tree. It likewise has huge green, pleated and flat
leaves. Although the leaves are not quite as large as the dammaropsis,
it is perhaps easier to grow and tolerates sun a lot better. It is
also bigger with a larger trunk and gets to about twenty feet height.

We're working on developing the best technique for
propagating this species and hope to offer them for sale on a continual
basis. But, for now, we have a few available.

TEN DAY SPECIAL: 25% OFF RETAIL
PRICE

Just mention this Blog Only Special when
purchasing.

BURRETIOKENTIA
KOGHIENSISSUPER RARE AND ONE OF THE PRETTIEST PALMS FROM
NEW CALEDONIATEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

When Jesse and I visited New Caledonia in the year
2000, one of the palms that stood out was this more rare form of
Burretiokentia. Native to Mount Koghi, this species stood to
a height of about 25 feet and had a prominent white-green crown shaft.
The trunk is thin and the crown of leaves full. I'd consider it a
medium sized palm. It is rare and hardly ever available to the
public. But, we're offering this great species at a very good
price.

It take coastal sun or filtered light inland.
Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties. BTW, the last two photos
are from our trip to the habitat.

REGULAR PRCIE BAND THIS SPECIES $40TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $30

Remember to mention this Special to get the
discount. Of note, we also hve 5g and 15g sizes for sale.

This species is a favorite among palm enthusiasts.
It's quite easy to grow and doesn't get too large. Mature height
is about twenty-five feet with a thin trunk as shown in the last photo.
The crown shaft is quite fuzzy and rusty red in color; thus the common
name. It is a medium rate growing palm. It tolerates full
sun along the coast and takes down to the mid-twenties F. If you
live inland, consider part day sun or strong filtered light. We're
offering two year old bands of nice size on special.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $35TEN DAY SPECIAL $25 OR FOUR FOR
$80

Just mention this Blog Only Special at the time of
purchase to get this price. We also have various other sizes
available.

photo showing rust color crown shaft larger
nursery plant

25g size nursery plant

FURCREA MACDOUGALIIUNUSUAL BLUE SUCCULENT THAT IS NOT TOO TALLFLESHY LEAVES, THIN TRUNK, ATTRACTIVETEN DAY SPECIAL TWO SIZES!

About ten years ago a landscape architect asked me
for about fifty of this very blue, drought tolerant succulent.
Actually, at the time I didn't really know much about this species.
So, I researched it and got quite fond of it. A customer of mine
had a tree that flowered and produced a large number of "bulbils".
These are small "plantlets" which I propagated. Now, three years
later, they are looking very nice. We have two sizes on special.

This species doesn't get overly tall, perhaps about
ten feet with six feet of thin trunk. Leaves are thick and blue in
color. It takes hot sun and is cold tolerant to the low 20's F.
It is relatively slow growing.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $35TEN DAY SPECIAL BANDS $25REGULAR PRICE 5G $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $45

Just mention this Special to get the discount when
you purchase. Note, very easy to ship.

photo by TS at RPS

ZAMIA FURFURACEATHE CARDBOARD CYCADTEN DAY SPECIAL 3G SIZE

This small cycad species is native to Mexico. It
is known as the "Cardboard Palm" although it's not a palm at all. The "Carboard
Cycad" is a much better name. It has thick hard leaves, thus the name
"cardboard". It is a small cycad, rarely over four to five feet tall.
It suckers freely. Along the coast it tolerates full sun but needs
filtered light far inland. Leaflets are essentially unarmed with no
spines. Color is green to yellow green depending on light exposure.
Cold tolerance is about 22 to 25 degrees F. We just got in some really
nice 3g plant which we are putting on a Ten Day Special.

REGULAR PRICE 3G SIZE THIS SPECIES, $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $55

You must mention this Blog Only Special to get this price. These plants
are easy to ship.

We recently got in a few more of this very popular blue Pindo palm.
We didn't think it would happen. My 5g size is already sold out
and there's essentially no more seeds or plants coming. Left are
several 15g and 25g plants that I'm offering on special. They are easy
to grow, love heat and sun, and are cold hardy to about 15 degrees F.
This will be the end of our offering this species and, as far as I know,
they just aren't available on the market any more.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175, 25G $350TEN DAY SPECIAL: 15G $145, 25G $275

You must mention this Blog only special to get this price when you
purchase. Photos below are representative.

15g size plant

15g size plant

15g size plant

25g size plant

25g size plant

Photo by Paul Craft

ARENGA ENGLERI
SEMI-DWARD, COLD HARDYTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

Shown here is a 15 gallon sized nursery plant of
this species. Below are some of the highlights of this Asian palm that
never gets very big.

• Is semi-dwarf, typically under 8 to 10 feet
tall
• Suckers, making additional trunks about 4 inches thick
• For a pinnate palm, super cold hardy to about 18 degrees F.
• Great species for "blocking the view of the neighbor"
• Gets about as wide as tall and you cannot see "through it"
• Has silver underside to the leaflets as shown
• Slow growing and tolerates sun along the coast or filtered light
• Very fragrant blossoms

We have available bands, 2 gallon (perhaps), 5g, 15g, and maybe a few
larger sizes. We're putting the 5g size on special

REGULAR PIRCIE 5G THIS SPECIES $65TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE $45
But, mention this Special to get the discount at time of purchase.

This relatively short fan palm is native to the Island of Guadalupe off
the northern coast of Baja, California. It is the only species on the
island and threatened by a "man-introduced" colony of wild goats brought
onto the island decades ago to "control the weeds". Now they eat every
seedling occurring naturally on the island. Only mature specimens
exist, unable to have their seed germinate and grow thanks to the
helpful hand of man.

It gets to a height of ten, maximum fifteen feet. It has a thick trunk
that is, from a distance, smooth appearing but close up has fine checks
in the texture. It is minimally armed with tiny spines on the stems.
You can hardly feel them. It is a full sun species and does fine along
the waterfront. Cold hardiness is about 16 to 18 degrees. All
domestic plants shown are in the coastal area of San Diego, CA area.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE THIS SPECIES $65TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $45

You must mention this Internet Special when purchasing to get
this price.

We've previously discussed this Australian
mountain species of King Palm that occurs naturally north of the
Australian city of Cairns. It gets to a height of about thirty
feet and is most known for the purple color to the crown shaft that is
seen once the tree obtains some age. It is fast growing and likes
coastal sun. It's not quite as cold hardy as the regular King
Palm.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $175TEN DAY SPECIAL: 15G $150

You must mention this Blog only special to get this
price when you purchase. Photos below are representative. We don't have
a lot of this size, but the ones we have are pretty nice.

This species of exotic palm is also from the island
of Madagascar. It is the third of three Beccariophoenix
species described from this palm-loaded country. It is so sought after
because some feel that it's the prettiest species of the three. And,
because is may possess the best cold hardiness. I've documented other
Beccariophoenix species tolerating temperatures below 25
degrees at our nursery. So, this species may survive in areas like San
Francisco, Phoenix and Houston. It grows to a height of about thirty
feet and does not have a crown shaft. Leaves are long and minimally
curved. The crown of leaves are densely placed. Growth rate is medium
in most areas and along the coast it likes sun. This species is rather
hard to find. We're putting our limited supplies of 5g plants on ten
day special.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $50

You must mention this Internet-only special when
purchasing to get this price.

photo by Tobias Spanner, RPS

EUTERPE EDULISA FORM OF THE "ACAI" BERRY PALM

I had been growing this palm for over twenty years
before I ever heard of anyone drinking "Acai berry juice". And then,
almost overnight, it became an industry. This species makes large
numbers of dark purple seeds, so it's no surprise that it is loaded with
antioxidant properties and someone would market it. The original "Acai
berry" was from another species, Euterpe oleracea. But, I've
heard juice from Euterpe edulis is also being used. I might
add that it's super expensive. Euterpe are also a good source
for the "hearts of palms" that some may eat in their salads.

Euterpe edulis is a fast growing, thin trunked, pinnate palm
with a long colorful crown shaft. Crown shaft color varies from green
to a mahogany brown. This species is native to Brazil and northern
Argentina. It is cold hardy into the mid-twenties F. It prefers to
start as a younger plant in strong filtered light and work its way into
the sun. On the pictures here, I am showing a nice 5g plant with color
already showing on the trunk (crown shaft). Also look at the large
nursery specimen. The photo from habitat was taken by Gaston Torres
from PACSOA.

photo by Gaston Torres, PACSOA

ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS
THE MOST POPULAR BLUE CYCAD

Blue cycads are the most popular cycads that we
and most cycad nurseries will sell. And, of the blue cycads,
Encephalartos horridus is by far the most popular or requested.
They are not a particular "friendly" plant with their sharply lobed
leaflets and prickly character. But, for some reason, people love this
species. They tend to be a smaller plant. A cuadex with two feet of
trunk height is considered "enormous" and as big as most seen in
botanical gardens. Native to South Africa, E. horridus typically has a
small crown of leaves with some curving down of the leaf stem.
Sometimes this can be pronounced. Color varies from silver to blue, but
full sun is needed for the best color. If grown in shade, leaves can
revert to green plants. Remember that the blue color is from a wax that
the plant gives out to prevent desiccation.

Cold tolerance is about 22 degrees F. and along the coast they want full
sun. In desert areas, part day sun is better. Shown here are several
very old nursery plants of this species. The first one has several
offsets as shown in the photos. This species makes an ideal potted
plant and has been grown by some as an interior cycad. In the house,
you must give them excellent light. We do from time to time have
seedlings for sale as well.

LIVISTONA AUSTRALIS
SINGLE TRUNK, COLD HARDY, TALLTEN DAY SPECIAL 5G AND 15G SIZES!

Check around and you'll find that this species is
difficult to locate. I think this is mostly because of lack of seed
availability. It is from the east coast of Australia at a very southern
location (colder). It is the most southern growing of all the
Livistona species. Thus, it's not surprising that it carries a
good amount of cold hardiness, into the upper teens F. In habitat it
tolerates full sun and can reach a height of 100 feet over many
decades. Trunk diameter is one foot. Leaves are five feet wide on a
long petiole. Check out the last photo. It's quite striking.

You must mention this special when purchasing to get this price. Note
that we have limited numbers available.

5 gallon size

25 gallon size

base of 15g plant

by Mike Gray, PACSOA

BRAHEA DULCISROCK PALM, SOMBRERO PALM
A GREEN AND A BLUE FORM

This is a medium sized, usually single trunked fan
palm that has a native habitat that extends from Mexico down into
Central America. It has flat and roundish leaves that are either green
or a prominent blue-green in color. Therefore, it is known to have a
"green form" as well as a "blue form". This color is not evident until
the plant gets larger in the ground. The trunk is about ten inches
thick and usual does not have hair or fibers. Leaves are flat, round in
shape and about three feet wide. Leaflet segments are open about half
way into the leaf. Fruits are known to be edible. In my opinion,
compared to Brahea armata, the dulcis leaves are more
round, flat and softer to the touch. And, obviously, not as blue as the
armata.

Shown here are two different 5g plants. The first three photos are of a
"blue" B. dulcis, although the color is not evident at this
age. The fourth and seventh photos show the blue variety. The other
garden specimen is the green form. This species can be grown in strong
filtered light or sun. In less sun, the leaves are larger and more
exotic appearing. Cold tolerance is probably into the low twenties F.,
perhaps into the upper teens. We may have larger and smaller specimens
for sale at the nursery.

I am actually quite surprised that
I still have several huge clumps of this super rare
Chamaedorea species for sale. It is from
mountainous areas of Honduras where it is almost
extinct. It gets to a height of about seven feet, eight
feet maximum. It has simple leaves with bifed apical
tips. Leaves are dark green in color and prominently
ribbed. Most amazing is the thin caliper of the stems.
They are about a quarter of an inch in diameter as shown
in the last photo.

Shown here are several mature plants with many stems.
They deserve to be in the finest home or botanical
garden. They are just superb specimens This is a shade
species. Cold tolerance is probably down to the
mid-twenties F. From a collector point of view, this
species is extremely difficult to find and seeds are
rarely available. These mature specimens are 25 years
old. Wouldn't one of these be a great gift to the palm
enthusiast for the Holidays!

CYCAS DEBAOENSIS
MULTIPINNATE, SMALL CAUDEX, LONG LEAVESIn my opinion, this is one of the most desirable
cycad species introduced in the past several decades. It was formally
described in 1996. Native to China, it is a plant with a rather small
caudex, typically under a foot in size, but with long leaves that
stretch upwards and will divide to the third order. Some argue that
it's just "bi-pinnate", but if you look carefully at these photos, there
is a small stem leading to two or three leaflets. Therefore, I consider
it to be "tri-pinnate". In other words, the main stem will fork and
that branch will fork again, this last stem holding the leaflets.. The
Caryota palm divides to the second order and is considered to
be multipinate as well. With this branching, this species produces a
very tropical and exotic appearing leaf.

It typically will hold two to four leaves, but has been reported to hold
as many as ten leaves. Length of these can reach ten feet. They tend
to go straight upwards, flexing down over time. Cycas debaoensis
prefers filtered light and is cold hardy to the lower 20's F. Shown
here is a nursery plant holding two very nice leaves. Caudex size is
about four to five inches. I've shown other plants of this species
before, but such a beautiful plant cannot be shown too many times. At
nurseries, this is considered super rare and is always hard to find.

photo from above the plant, looking down

SMALL AND EASILY SHIPPED STARTER
PLANTS ANYONE?
SMALL PLANTS IN BANDS, AN EASY-TO-SHIP CONTAINER
WE LITERALLY HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BAND SIZED PLANTS

I would show you some starter plants. These
are in our "band" containers. A band container is a square pot.
It is 3" x 3" x 9". A lot of growers have started using these containers
because they nicely group together in carrying trays.
A tray will hold 25 plants (five rows of five plants) and can easily be moved or
carried. The nice thing about these pots for consumers
is that these pots give a nice, high quality seedling and they can be easily
shipped. It is very easy to pack four, nine, or sixteen of these
into a "block" and box them up safely. And, typically the plants in these
band containers are good sized, equivalent to a very healthy
one gallon plant. I'm going to show you an assortment of band sized plants
with minimal comments about the species. These appear
in random order. Availability of some
items is quite limited and some species may sell out.

NANNORRHOPS RITCHEANAA suckering palm from the Middle East that has
anywhere from a green
color to a prominent blue, gets to a height of about eight feet and is
cold hardy into the upper teens F. and likes sun.

SABAL MINORA dwarf Sabal that never gets over
about four feet tall, is single trunked,
has fan leaves with prominent flower spikes that come above the foliage.
Native to the southern U.S., this species is cold hardy into the mid
teens F.
It wants full sun.

TRITHRINAX CAMPESTRISThis South American palm is a fan palm,
suckers, has a very blue color, likes
full hot sun and surprising cold tolerance. It can take
temperatures into
the mid teens F. Overall height is about ten feet or less.

ENCEPHALARTOS TRISPINOSUSThis South African rare cycad species is
extremely blue when grown in the sun
and never gets overly large. A plant five feet tall would be a big
plant. It likes
full sun, heat and good drainage. Cold hardiness is into the low
20's F.

CERATOZAMIA HILDAEThis is a shade loving dwarf cycad that has
interesting groups of leaflets along
the stem. It typically is never over four feet tall. It is a
very "cute" species
and cold tolerant into the lower twenties f.

ENCEPHALARTOS CERINUSThis is another South African cycad.
This is a dwarf species with a trunk
that is typically under six to eight inches in size. Leaves are
about three
feet long and fluffy appearing. It likes sun and good drainage.
Cold tolerance
is about 22 degrees F. Cycads are easy to cold protect.

DYPSIS BETAFAKAThis Madagascar species resembles a more blue
colored Dypsis decipiens.
It is a new introduction. It may sucker over time, this is not
well known.
It will want sun and should be cold hardy into the lower 20's F.

DIOON TOMASELLIIA Mexican cycad, this species prefers strong
filtered light or perhaps
full sun along the coast. It is a medium sized plant with leaves
about
five to six feet long. The interesting thing is the curve of the
leaflets
in a sickle like downward curve. This is seen in only a few cycad
seedlings. Cold hardiness into the low 20's f.

STANGERIA ERIOPUSThis species looks more like a fern than a
cycad. It is from South Africa
and is quite easy to grow. It can take sun along the coast or
filtered light
inland. Cold hardiness is like other species, into the low 20's f.
It is
a dwarf species with leaves about three feet long.

BURRETIOKENTIA KOGHIENSISThis New Caledonian palm is single trunk,
pinnate,
and has a white crown shaft. It is very beautiful and a quick
growing plant. It likes full coastal sun or part day sun/filtered
light inland. Cold tolerance is into the mid, perhaps lower
20's F. It is rare and hard to find.

PRITCHARDIA MUNROIIAs you can see here, some of our band plants
are huge, bigger than
most nursery's one gallon plants. This is an example of that.
P. munroii
is native to Hawaii and is a medium sized fan palm that will take full
sun along the coast, wants protection inland, and has a broad, flat
green leaf. It is a very pretty species and hard to find.

HYOPHORBE VERSCHAFELTIITHE SPINDLE PALMThis cousin of the popular Bottle Palm is slow
growing and gets to a height of about ten feet. It loves sun and
is cold hardy perhaps into the upper twenties F. I'd not recommend
it to anyone in a significantly cold area. This is our band size.
You can see the yellow color, a prominent color in this species.
Unlike the Bottle Palm, the swelling you see with this species is in the
mid trunk, not at the base.

DYPSIS PRESTONIANAA single trunk and hard to find species from
Madagascar. Height is to thirty-five
feet with a trunk diameter twelve to sixteen inches. Leaves are
plumose. This is
a full sun plant with a good amount of cold tolerance for a Dypsis.

LACCOSPADIX AUSTRALASICAThis is a suckering, medium sized pinnate palm
from Australia. Some consider it
to appear like a "suckering Howea". Height is typically
fifteen to twenty five feet.
Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. This is a very
attractive palm with
prominent red seeds.

COERNICIA BAILEYANAThis is a thick trunked fan palm that can get
over thirty feet tall. The most striking
feature are the light colored massive trunks that seem to tower
overhead. The crown has near complete and upright fan leaves that
are held tightly together. This is a sun loving
species that can tolerate mid-twenty F. temperatures. Very
difficult to find.

This will give you a taste of plants in band containers.
What most people don't know is that we have a tens of thousands of band sized
plants.
So, there's a pretty good chance that the species you want might be available in
this smaller size. Most are very affordable in price.
And, if you get a good number of these, a volume discount would be considered.
Shipping band sized plants is fairly affordable.

SUNDAY, 5 OCTOBER, 2014

COCCOTHRINAX ARGENTATAA FLASH OF SILVER IN THE SKYWHY YOU HARDLY EVER SEE COCCOTHRINAX FOR
SALE

This morning I wanted to talk about a smaller fan
palm that many of you can grow. It's actually fairly simple to
grow in our area, but you must be super patient; they are so slow.
Coccothrinax are New World plants typically from Mexico,
Central America or the Caribbean Islands. Most have thin trunks
and don't get over about twenty feet tall. This makes them ideal
plants for many people. And, they are very "cute" palms.
They love heat and sun and can take some cold. It's not unusual
for a Coccothrinax to go into the mid-twenties F and do ok.
If you live in the desert, consider this genus.

Coccothrinax argentata is known for the
silver underside to the leaves. The tops are green. When you
look up into one on a windy day where the leaves are moving, you'll get
flashes of bright silver shining at you. Photos here demonstrate
its appearance. The 15g plant you see here is 8 to 9 years old.

The reason you never see them is that it's a major
job for a nursery to produce a product to sell. Getting a nice
band container takes two to three years. They start as a "blade of
grass" and in four to five years finally get fan leaves. Most
nurseries are looking for quick turnovers. Coccothrinax
never do this. So, if you want one of these, you too have to be
patient and let it grow. Fortunately, they are faster in the
ground than in pots. We have a nice assortment of many
Coccothrinax for sale.

Here I am showing you another Coccothrinax
that has silver underside of a green leaf. This species is native
to Haiti and Dominican republic whereas Coccothrinax argentata's
distribution extends from Florida into Mexico and the Bahamas.
Coccothrinax argentea is another thin trunk fan palm that gets to a
height of thirty feet. It's crown of leaves is small and the
underside of the leaves are likewise silver. It is a very slow
growing plant when young (see above).

I'm showing you an older nursery 15g pot and a nice
5g plant. We also have smaller for sale. Just get one in the
ground, wait a while, and you'll have a nice specimen in about a decade.
A real enthusiasts will watch it grow and be proud of what he sees as
both the plant and he age.

15 gallon nursery plant

5 gallon nursery plant

COCCOTHRINAX CRINITATHE OLD MAN PALMNOTE: SCRAGGLY BEARDS ARE IN!

Fortunately for many present time professional
baseball players and this species, unkempt and scraggly beards are "in"
and acceptable. I say this because the trunk of this species looks
like a beard that's not been cared for its entire life. But, this
is the reason it's so popular. It tends to be shorter than the two
species above and the trunk is somewhat thicker. It's covered with
dangling tan fibers that give it its common name. Leaves are green
and a bit silver underneath.

But, this one is super super slow. At least I
can say this is so in our hands in California. Perhaps its faster
growing in tropical areas, but not here. The seedlings shown in 1g
pots below are 3 years old. So, it's near impossible for us to
offer a nice chunky 15g plant. Lois Rosten (now deceased) had a
nice one in her front yard with three feet of trunk. This took
here twenty-five years! So, that patience I mentioned above is
really needed if you want one of these. Note, they tend to be
susceptible to fungus more than other species. They like sun, heat
and can take a freeze.

ENCEPHALARTOS
BUBALINUSRARE CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCADTEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT

This rare green Central African cycad is native to
Tanzania and Kenya. It gets a trunk of 2 meters in many decades
and six foot straight green leaves. Growth rate is medium.
Along the coast it tolerates full sun but may prefer part day sun in far
inland areas.

The plant on special is an old plant I've had for
about 14 years or so. I don't recall if it was seed grown or not.
It has an 8 inch caudex and is in a 15g pot. I want to stress that
this is a very rare species to find for sale.

REGULAR PRICE THIS PLANT $1200TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS PLANT $800

But, to get this nice discount you have to mention
this Blog Only Special. On this species, this is the only plant on
a Ten Day Special.

photo by Colin Wilson, PACSOA

BUTIA X
SYAGRUSTHE MULT PALM TEN DAY SPECIAL 25G SIZE

The plants shown here are the sought-after Mule
Palms in 25g containers with heights of about ten feet in their pots.
This is a man-made cross between Butia capitata and the Queen Palm.
It's qualities include quick growth, hardiness, cold tolerance and
handsome appearance when mature. And, this hybrid doesn't look
like either parent. Some think they look like a Coconut when
mature. They prefer full sun and are cold hardy to about 17
degrees F.

These 25g and chunky plants that are way overhead.
They are chunky and sun grown.

REGULAR PRICE 25G SIZE $650TEN DAY SPECIAL 25G $525

PARAJUBAEA TORALLYI
THE SOUTH AMERICAN COCONUTTEN DAY SPECIAL BOX SIZE

This tall South American palm can get up to forty
feet tall. It is so easy to grow that most enthusiast say "no
matter what I do, it just grows". This is a good report. It
does have a husky trunk averaging 18 inches. Leaves are flat with
a bit of silver on the underside. Trunks end up being clean after
a fibrous stage. Leaflets hang toward the ground a bit. It
tolerates full sun in most localities and has a cold tolerance into the
teens.

These boxes are sun grown, about eight to ten feet
tall, and husky. They are ready to be planted.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SPECIES/SIZE $475TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $375

Just mention this Blog Special at the time of
purchase to get this discount. Limited quantities available.

by PlantaPalm Website

RAVENEA GLAUCAMEDIUM SIZED MADAGASCAR PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 25 G SIZE

This popular palm is quite easy to grow and gets to
a height of abut 25 feet. But, it has a thin trunk for its height;
six inches on average. The leaves are soft and droopy. It
takes full sun along the coast and in inland tolerates areas takes part
day sun. Cold hardiness is into the mid to perhaps low 20's F.

It's one of my favorites. We can hardly keep
them in stock. We run out of the older plants but have a few of
them. So, I'm putting them on special.

REGULAR PRICE 25G $450TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $350

Just remember to mention this Blog Special to get
the discount.

photo by Arkive Website

habitat by MR

SATURDAY, 4 OCTOBER, 2014

JUNGLE MUSIC AND SOCIAL MEDIATHERE'S LOTS OF WAYS TO CHECK OUT WHAT IS
HAPPENING AT THE NURSERY.

For some time, our nursery has had a real presence on social media
venues such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.
We've vastly expanded this in recent times. So, if you're on the
go only with your smart phone, it's easy to see
what's happening at the Nursery. I've included a few links below.
We'd love to have many of you follow us,
especially at Facebook. Check it out. These medias are fun.

This is a fan palm you will hardly ever see
available and never on special. It is native to Hispaniola and
reaches a mature height of about 30 feet. But, in contrast to so
many other Copernicia, the trunk is quite thin. It is
usually nine inches thick or less. Leaves are green and flat.
Segments of the leaf are only separated at their ends so that the leaf
has a solid flat appearance. New leaves are held upright and
appear rigid. There is a bit of blue on the leaf stems as shown
here. Old retained leaf bases fall off over time to give a clean
trunk. Petioles do have armor.

This is a full sun palm. It's so rare to know
of anyone growing this that we have little cold hardiness data.
I'd estimate it'll go into the twenties F. On sale are very nice
5g plants. I've shown close ups of a fruiting size tree; pictures
I took recently.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE $50

But, remember to mention this Blog Only Special to
get this price when purchasing.

CARYOTA MITISTHE SUCKERING FISHTAIL PALMTHIN TRUNKS AND NOT TOO TALL

As many of you know, Fishtail Palms (Caryota)
are monocarpic palms. If you look at the derivation of this term,
it means "one body". Thus, when a stem of a
Caryotablossoms and fruits, that trunk dies. So,
single trunk species like Caryota urens or gigas
will die when they blossom. Not so with Caryota mitis as the plant survives because it has
multiple stems. True, that one blossoming stem will die but
there's others to take over.

Nowadays, at our nursery, we will sell fifty single
trunk Caryotasto every one suckering Caryota mitis. But, fifty years ago mitis was the only Fishtail Palm that anyone would buy.
It has historically been used as an interior palm or on patios. It
has thinner trunks, typically under six inches in diameter, and a
smaller overall height. I'd say fifteen feet is a good estimate
although they can get taller. Leaves look like other Fishtails but
are shorter. But, they are bipinnate with branching. Stems
sucker from the base and have some blackish fibrous material as shown
here.

I'm showing a 25g plant first and then a 15g plant.
These are about ten years old. They are much slower growing than
their single trunk brothers. We can obtain and offer interior
quality Caryota mitis to those who want an
interior palm. Outdoors I recommend part day sun along the coast
for the best appearance. Cold hardiness is into the upper twenties
F.

One of the most collectible of all palm trees are
the variegated Rhapis. Literally, enthusiasts will import
a rare clone of these plants from many thousands of miles away and pay a
pretty penny for it. This is because these plants have a real
mystique and history. They are miniature palms and a small plant
may sit on the desktop of the president of big corporations in Japan.
And, it'll be growing in a colorful ceramic pot that may cost a thousand
dollars. So, what's up with these unusual plants? Why are
they so sought after?

The first thing to realize is that they are super
rare. Finding one takes a lot of work. Secondly, they have
been divided up into individual varieties or clones with hard to
remember Japanese names. (Remember, the Japanese worship these
plants) Thirdly and most importantly, you can only get one of
these plants from a division of an existing plant. So, they will
never be abundant. Finally, these are dwarf plants, rarely over
six feet tall. So, they are wonderful for containers and do great
indoors.

Yesterday while walking the nursery I saw a
gorgeous plant I wanted to show. It is the variety "nuikonishiki".
We have divided up a mother plant many times over the years to offer
this species for sale. But, the main thing I wanted to demonstrate
today is that each new leaf is not a duplicate of the last leaf.
They are all a bit different. (see photos). What
makes them a particular variety is not that all leaves look identical.
Rather, they have a tendency to look a certain way. I.e., wide
yellow stripes, very thin green stripes, white on green, yellow on
green, small leaflets mostly green with minimal thin yellow stripes,
etc. Do you get this point? It's important. If you
search for a plant that's would be an exact match to a certain leaf you
seek, you'll probably not find it. Every plant is unique and each
leaflet is a bit different than the last.

We do have a very limited number of variegated
Rhapis available. They are not inexpensive but reasonably
priced. Inquire and we can help you get one of these great plants.
They do fine outdoors, are cold hardy to the low 20's F., and prefer
filtered light.

It seems that I'm always using the word "rare" when
I describe things. This species would not be an exception. We first
heard of this palm about a decade ago. Everyone had to have one but no
one had them for sale. Over time a few seeds became available. And,
most recently, I even got some domestic seeds out of Florida. So, this
wonderful and fairly easy to grow species will hopefully become a
mainstay in palm gardens.

It is single trunk with heights up to about 35
feet. The trunk is one inch in diameter and the crown shaft is
silver-brown. Leaves are plumose and the crown is fairly open. The
first three pictures are from a plant in the Encinitas garden. There
it's been getting half day sun. It's got a fat trunk in about five to
six years and has never missed a beat. The fourth photo was taken by
John Dransfield, the world's authority on Malagasy palms.

This species has at least a cold tolerance into the
mid twenties F., perhaps lower. Most are growing it in part day sun or
full sun right on the coast. We have bands available as shown and a
limited number of juvenile plants of larger size.

This is a rare
Ceratozamia from Mexico that is hardly
ever available on the market. This morning I'm presenting some one year
old seedlings that are for sale. This species never makes a large
plant. Typical caudex size is under eight inches and leaf lengths
average three feet. Leaflets are wide, sometimes up to two inches in
width. Leaflet length is usually about six inches. In the garden, a
plant is usually below your belt line.

The seedlings here are one year old and have
typically two leaves. You see the blue color mostly when leaves are
brand new. This is a filtered light species with a cold tolerance down
into the low 20's F. The lat photo shows the color nicely in a private
garden.

Leaf of larger nursery plant

KENTIOPSIS OLIVIFORMISCROWN SHAFTED NEW CALEDONIAN PALMGREAT ALTERNATIVE TO THE KING PALM

For those of you who like King Palms because they
are clean, tidy and self-pruning, I want to show you an alternative
species that may be of interest to you.It is Kentiopsis oliviformis. It is also
a self-pruning, crown shafted palm species.

Here are some of the benefits of this species over
the common King Palm:

• It's more cold hardy, probably good to about 23
degrees as compared to 25-26 with the King Palm• It doesn't have nearly as much of a tendency
toward brown tipping at the end of the leaflets when grown in full sun• It seems to not get as tall as the King Palm• It has a more upright and tidy crown of leaves• Very clean and dark green color of the crown
shaft• It's more rare and your neighbor will never have
one

I'm showing you here a Kentiopsis oliviformis
that is growing in full sun in an inland Encinitas area. It shows
no brown tipping of the leaves and is just beautiful. I'm also showing
you a 5g and then a 15g nursery plant. These are easy mail orders.

CHAMAEDOREA TEPEJILOTESUCKERING AND SINGLE TRUNK FORMSTEN DAY SPECIAL 15G PLANTS

This filtered light-loving species is from Mexico
and typically has a single trunk. It has a prominently ringed truck,
wide leaflets, about five foot long leaves and a trunk diameter of about
2 inches. Heights are about fifteen feet on an average. It does not
tolerate full sun without leaf burn. It is a fast growing species and
produces lots of black seeds when you have both sexes.

However, there is a form of this species that
produces suckers and makes a plant with multiple stems. I am showing
both the single trunk form here as well as the suckering form. Note the
suckers on the third picture that are coming off the stem to the left.
In my experience, the trunks are thinner on the suckering form.
Otherwise, the plants are pretty much the same. The first three photos
here are the suckering form. The next three photos are the single trunk
form BUT with two plants in the same pot. Don't be fooled because you
see two trunks. The last photo shows the single trunk form in the
garden. Cold tolerance is into the low twenties F. but not into the
teens.

On final comment: Sometimes you may see roots
coming off the base of the stem and going into the ground. These are
adventitious roots that tripod from the base of the trunk. But, most
would feel this species does not qualify as a "stilt root" palm.

We're offering our 15g on ten day special. We have
limited numbers of both forms.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 15G PLANTS $195TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE $155

To get this discount, you must mention this Blog
only special at the time of purchase.

Suckering Chamaedorea tepejilote

Suckering Chamaedorea tepejilote

Suckering Chamaedorea tepejilote

Single trunk variety but with two plants
in one pot

DIOON EDULETHE MOST COLD HARDY AND DURABLE OF ALL CYCADSHUGE 15G AND 20G PLANTSTEN DAY SPECIAL TWO SIZESTAY SPECIAL THESE PLANTSDioon edule is a Mexican cycad that is
probably the most durable of all cycads. It's the only species that has
a chance at taking the hot desert sun you see in Las Vegas and Phoenix,
AZ. It tolerates temperatures as low as 18 degrees and as hot as 115
degrees F. They are much better for cold than other species.

It is a smaller species of cycad. It's rare to
see trunks over two to three feet. Crowns of leaves are also small,
perhaps four to five feet across. Leaf length is rarely over four
feet. There are variations of different varieties of edule,
but none are huge plants. Leaf color is green or gray-green. A few
tend a little toward blue.

The plants shown here include huge 15g and 20g
plants. The 15g are over 6 inches caudex size and the 20g are over 8
inches. Some are in cone. Many are suckering. All are over ten years
old from seed. All can be shipped right to your door.

REGULAR PRICE THESE 15G PLANTS
$400TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE 15G $275REGULAR PRICE THESE 20G PLANTS $525TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE 20G $375Just mention this Blog Special at the time of purchase to get this
price. Of note, we do have other sizes, bigger and smaller, for sale.
But, these plants are very nice sized for their container and, I feel, a
pretty good buy.

15 GALLON SIZE, this and next 8 photos

20 GALLON SIZE, this and next three
photos

Different box specimen

Dioon edule in
garden

ENCEPHALARTOS CAFFERDWARF SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

Some people don't want a cycad
that gets too large. The Dioon edule above is such a plant.
But, this Encephalartos shown here is even smaller. A large
caudex for this species would be eight inches. Leaf length is about 30
inches. Overall crown size is about three feet, perhaps a bit more.
From a collectors point of view, this is a rare species and not easy to
find.

The plant shown here is in a citrus pot, has a 3.5 inch caudex. It is a
sun species with a cold hardiness to approximately 22 degrees F. So,
it'd do well in many areas. Far inland areas like the desert would grow
it in part day sun. This plant can easily be shipped right to your
door.

FICUS DAMMAROPSISDON'T MISS OUT ON
THESE SUPER RARE AND HUGE LEAFED PLANTS

SEE YESTERDAY'S BLOG BELOW

PACHYPODIUM LAMERIMADAGASCAR PALMTEN DAY SPECIAL 1G/6 INCH PLANTS

These peculiar looking spiny trunk succulents are
quite popular and different looking. They make a wonderful potted
plant that guests will comment on. Coming from Madagascar, they
have "inappropriately" been called the "Madagascar Palm", another
example of a plant called a palm when it in no way is part of the palm
family.

They like sun and heat. They can tolerate a frost but are not felt
to be super cold hardy. It's best not to water them much during
cold weather. The plants offered today on special are in 1g or six
inch pots. They have about a foot or more of trunk and nice crowns
of leaves.

Yesterday we found a "lost" palm in the
greenhouse that is shown here (with one stock photo) that is native to
the highlands area of New Guinea. That fact that it grows at
altitude there probably accounts for the fact that some growers have
been able to successfully grow it here in Southern California. It
is a short species, rarely over eight feet tall. In the wild, some
plants are only three feet tall. Leaflets are wide, short and have
the typical jagged fishtail type end. Trunks are under one inch
thick.

The plant here was brought forward to our sales
area and sold to the first person who dropped in and saw it. We
may have others for sale but probably not like this ten year old plant
in flower. I'd estimate it'll tolerate a freeze and would prefer
filtered light. I've mostly shown it today because most of you
have never seen this species.

About a month ago we introduced a new frequently
changing feature at the
Jungle Music Website. It's our "Picks of the Week" Video featuring
long time staff members at Jungle Music. We've done three or
four videos of the nursery but these are the first strictly dealing with
individual species. Our goal is to each week or two have about a two to three minute
video that covers two, perhaps three different and interesting species
of palms, cycads or tropical plants. The producers of these features
will be either Jesse (my son), Rusty or Ricardo.

The link given here takes you to a launch page.
There, over time, you can go specifically to the video you want to view.
Species will be listed. I hope you like this new feature.
Here's theLink to Picks of the Week .

This exotic tropical tree is native to New Guinea
but surprisingly does quite well in many areas of California. It
has huge pleated leaves that have been reported to get up to three feet
long. I have several trees in my yard and their leaves are about
30 inches long and twenty inches wide. My trees are approximately
fourteen feet tall with a thin trunk of only six inches. Reports
are that people in Santa Cruz and San Francisco are even growing this
beautiful tree. So, it's worth considering. It does best in
part day sun or strong filtered light. Right on the coast it can
take full sun.

The problem is that you never see them for sale.
Fruits produced domestically never provide seeds as we lack the
pollinating wasp that fertilizes the fruit. Typical means of
propagation like tip cuttings do not work. Believe me, I've tried
it many times. Rather, sophisticated techniques of air or ground
layering are needed and it takes about a year to accomplish this.
So, this species is rarely seen and never inexpensive. But, is it
ever worth it. I guarantee you that it'll be one of your favorite
trees.

This is the fourth time we've offered them for
sale. I presently just got in ten plants three days ago from my
propagator/ Four have already sold. They'll literally be
gone in a few days most likely. I can ship them but it takes an
oversized box to prevent leaf damage. These plants are about three
feet tall in their pots and holding about five to six leaves.

It's been quite a while since I've offered this
single trunk species of desirable palm tree on special. These are
single trunk plants (not multiples) and about sixteen to eighteen inches
tall in their pots. They are about two to three years old.
This species is from Lord Howe Island and the more rare type of Kentia
Palm. The difference between the belmoreana and the
forsteriana is that this species is a bit more cold hardy and has
curved leaves and forms an "umbrella" appearance to the crown of leaves.
The leaves arch toward the ground.

Like Howea forsteriana, H. belmoreana
is slow growing. But, it's faster in the ground than in a
pot. It can be grown as a house or patio plant. It likes
filtered light or a bit of sun unless you are right on the coast where
it can take full sun. Cold tolerance is about 24 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE 1G THIS SPECIES $40TEN DAY SPECIAL $25 OR FOUR FOR
$85.

But, you have to mention this Blog Only Special to
get this price when you order or visit us.I'm offering the four plants
at a better price because it's easy to pack and ship four one gallons in
the same box.

ENCEPHALARTOS
WHITELOCKIILARGE LEAFED, FAST GROWING CENTRAL AFRICAN GREEN
CYCADTEN DAY SPECIAL ANY PLANT WE HAVE THIS SPECIES

This is the first time I've ever offered such a
great buy on this super fast growing and satisfying Central African
species of rare cycad. When we first got seeds many decades ago,
it was called the "Uganda Giant". And, a giant it is. It has
leaves twelve feet long or more. Yet the leaflets themselves are
quite narrow as shown here. You can take a smaller nursery plant
and, in the garden, turn it into a coning specimen in less than a
decade.

Leaf color is green and leaflets are somewhat armed
with spines, especially when younger. Compared to E. laurentianus,
the leaves are shorter but this species is easier to grow and much
faster than laurentianus.
It likes sun along the coast. Far inland, I'd give it part day sun
and you'll have a darker color to the leaves. Cold tolerance is
about 22 degrees F.

TEN DAY SPECIAL: 25% OFF ANY PLANT WE
HAVE OF THIS SPECIES!

This is a great opportunity for cycad enthusiasts
or those who like unusual plants. But, you must remember to
mention this Blog Only Special when purchasing to get the discount.

BONZAI TREESA TECHNIQUE OF GROWINGCONSIDER BONZAI CYCADS

When I visited Selby Botanical Garden I talked to the fellow doing the
bonzai culture for them. He wasn't an employee but a local
enthusiast of the Bonazi Society back there. He trimmed and cared
for the plants shown here. He told me the technique can be used on
all sorts of trees. I've shown four different plant types here
where they've been grown with bonzai culture. Everyone thinks you
can only use fir or pine types of trees. This is not true.

I have a few customers who are growing cycads as bonzai plants. It
stunts their growth and leaf size. But, I've heard they look
fantastic. I apologize I don't have a photos of such a bonzai
cycad. I'd appreciate it if one of you do have one, send it on to
me. Imagine a miniature blue cycad in a small pot with a tight and
contorted caudex and short leaves. How cool would that be?

RECYCLE YOUR PLANTIC CONTAINERS
NURSERY CREDIT FOR USED PLASTIC POTS

I like to remind plant enthusiasts to recycle
their plastic containers. We will take them and give you a credit
toward any purchase at the nursery. Or, if you just don't know
what to do with them and are conservative minded, drop them off at our
nursery location. We'll put them to good use. We've been
doing this for decades and think it's the right thing to do for the
environment. We are especially looking for larger pots, 15g and
bigger. We also really appreciate 7g pots and citrus pots.

So, don't give them to the garbage man for your local landfill.
Bring them to our nursery. We thank you in advance!

There's been a real shortage of
Dypsis lutescens on the market. I usually have
available plants up to ten feet of height. What I'm
offering on special right now are plants in 15g
containers that are about seven to eight feet tall in
their pots. There are not larger plants of this
species on the market right now, anywhere, that I'm
aware of.

These plants shown today are full and lush. This species
will take coastal sun and gets to a height of about
fifteen to eighteen feet maximum in our locality.
Trunks are silver and about three inches thick. There
is a definite touch of yellow in the crown shafts and
leaf stems. It's normal for this species. Cold
tolerance is perhaps 24 degrees or a bit lower. We only
have about ten of this very nice plants. This special
will last for ten days. I suspect they'll sell out
before that time.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SIZE $250TEN DAY
SPECIAL THIS SIZE $175

You must mention this Internet-only special when
purchasing to get this price.

mature clump in Encinitas, CA in
full sun

BISMARCKIA SPECIES MAYOTTE ISLAND
A BISMARCKIA BUT WITHOUT THE BLUETEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZED PLANTS

One of the favorite characteristics of
Bismarckia is the blue color to the leaves. But, there is a green
variety on the island of Madagascar. At another location, there is an
endemic green Bismarckia known as the "Mayotte Island" form.
There is very little published about it. It likes sun and is probably
cold hardy into the mid-teens F. Most feel it's not quite as cold hardy
as the blue form. The photo below is by Tim Brian in HI. It is similar
but not the same as the Mayotte Island form. The latter has a lot of
red in the petiole and stem. It of course is a full sun palm.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $75TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE $49

You must mention this Blog Only price at time of purchase to get this
special price.

Green Bismarckia by T.B., Hawaii

DIOON CAPUTOISMALLER AND RARE MEXICAN CYCAD

Today I thought I'd mention a different type of
thin leaflet cycad. Dioon caputoi is a very rare species of
Dioon with its habitat being in the area of Pueblo in the
country of Mexico. Several decades ago one could only dream about this
species with only about a hundred plants in habitat. In the 1990's,
some seeds did come out of habitat and it is occasionally seen for
sale. It is not a big cycad. Trunks are typically one to two feet,
rarely to three feet. The leaflets are very thin with gaps between the
leaflets. The color is green or gray-green. Leaves are stiff and
usually two to three feet long.

It is slow growing and prefers sun along the coast or very bright
filtered light. It is an endangered species and next to impossible to
find in a nursery. We are quite fortunate to offer you plants in a
variety of sizes, from band up to 15g size. Mature plant photos and a
female cone are provided by a friend of mine, Mark Mason. Although the
coldest limit is not known, I'd estimate cold tolerance to be in the
upper teens F.

THE KEY TO GROWING NEW
CALEDONIAN PALM SPECIES
IT'S ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU GIVE THEM

Over the past few
decades, we have sold literally a few thousand or more New Caledonian
palms to all sorts of collectors in many areas of Southern California.
We always try to seek feedback from customers as to how their palms do
over time. We do this by later calling or emailing them.
From our decades of dong this, I can say that a key factor to success in
growing most New Caledonian species in our area is giving them enough
water. In areas in Florida, there's lots of rain so this is hardly
ever a problem. Here in Southern California, that is not the case.

With water shortages, many time people try to cut back on their water
consumption. Many palm species tolerate this. But, species
such as Chambeyronia, Cyphophoenix, Basselinia and
Burretiokentia don't do well with water restriction. It is
true that, close to the ocean, Chambeyronia can take full sun.
But, if you drastically cut back water to them, they'll brown tip, look
dry and not do well. The solution is simply give them more water.
I can't tell you how many times this simple recommendation is what we
give t customers. Chambeyronia simply won't tolerate full
sun if water restricted. Providing you're not exposing them to too
much cold, we've found that inadequate water is the number one
shortcoming is growing New Caledonian species. If soil drainage is
good, you can hardly over water these species.

So, if you have some New Caledonian palms that aren't performing well,
give them more water. You'll probably see, over time, that they
will do a lot better. Below is a photo of Chambeyronia hookeri
in full sun, throwing a beautiful new red leaf over a roof in full sun
in the Inland Empire area of Southern California. For readers who
don't know, this is about forty miles from the ocean.

photo by DL Chambeyronia in
the Ontario, CA area in full sun.

DYPSIS ONILAHENSISDROOPY LEAF FORMTEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This popular species is from Madagascar and can be
single trunk or suckering. It has a leaf form where the leaf is flat in
cross section and another form where the leaflets are very droopy,
hanging down toward the ground. The crown shafts are white as shown
here or sometimes silver. It likes coastal sun and is cold hardy into
the low 20's F. We are offering the band size on special, droopy form.
This is a Blog only offering.

Recently we shot an assortment of photos of
what the front of our nursery looks like. I think you'd have to
agree that we are loaded with tons of beautiful plants. Please
give us a visit. We're 25 minutes north of San Diego, 90 minutes
south of Los Angeles and just off Freeway 5. There's a directions
button at the top of our Home Page.

ASSORTED PHOTOS PLANTS OUTDOORS AT THE NURSERY

About half of our nursery plants are grown outdoors
at the nursery. The other half are inside our greenhouses.
We have twelve greenhouses. In general, the outdoor plants are
acclimated better to our weather or sun and tend to be larger and more
mature in size.

Recently my son Jesse went around with a camera
to show you some pictures of a few of our outdoor growing areas.
Readers typically enjoy it when we show such photos. You'll see
here palm trees, exotic cycads and lush tropical species. I hope
you enjoy these photos. Of course, all plants are for sale.

For those of you who haven't visited us, our street front is about three
hundred feet long in a residential neighborhood. We chose such a
neighborhood on purpose because our city is known for its nurseries and
green attitude. Nurseries are nestled among homes. It's
quite inviting to visit nurseries here. We have several acres
overall dedicated to the plants. This includes shaded or shade
cloth areas, hot sun areas, a display garden area and a large
propagation and growing grounds. We also host an educational
center and lecture hall. We are just minutes off the major freeway
(Fwy 5) in our town of Encinitas, California. So, it's an easy
trip. Please drop in a visit us.

ALTHOUGH NOT PLANTS FOR SALE, THE INFORMATIONAL POSTS BELOW
WILL BE USEFUL
OR INFORMATIVE TO MOST WEBSITE
VISITORS

GREAT NEW PALM REFERENCE BOOKTHE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CULTIVATED PALMS

For those of you who may be seeking out a
good palm book that is easy to read and very educational, I highly
recommend this publication. As you know I rarely recommend a
particular book.

In 2003, Paul Craft and Robert Lee Riffle published their first edition
of this book. It was felt by most at that time to be the best palm
publication around. But, as time went by, more palm species were
discovered and Paul Craft wanted to improve on his first book.
Robert Lee Riffle unfortunately passed away, but Paul teamed up with
noted botanist and author, Scott Zona, formerly of Fairchild Tropical
Gardens and a few months ago published the second edition of this fine
book. It deals with about 900 species of palms and has about 1000
photographs. It is particularly good for those of you trying to
make sense of the many Dypsis species.

I have been a friend of all three authors mentioned above, but have had
a long term comradery with Paul Craft and his wife Patty.
Thirty-five years ago, Paul and I were the only growers in the United
States that had nurseries specializing in palms. So, we became
close friends and have communicated over these many years. I can
tell you that his work on this book is superb.

And, he's offering a special price (need to verify still being
offered) to you of $47.95 (normally $59.95 retail price).
Maybe you can get him to send you a signed copy! And,
shipping within the U.S. is included with this price. It's a real
bargain for such a fine book. If interested, just click here to order this great palm book.
You'll not be disappointed.

Of note, I
am just promoting this book because of its merits and have no fiscal
relationship with this publication.

Our usual technique of shipping plants is
to utilize Federal Express ground service. The customer
calls us, places his order, and usually the same day plants are
put into boxes in their containers, soil and all, taken down to
the Federal Express shipping center and are on their way.
The customer receives his plants several days later looking
exactly like they did at our nursery. This shipping method is good for
plants up to about 15g size. And, we can piggyback smaller
plants with bigger plants to shave shipping costs. It's
even possible to get four or five plants in the same box by
putting smaller ones in with the main plant.

But, other times people want larger plants
(too tall and heavy for Fed Exp to delivery) or a larger number
of plants where it would require twenty-five or more boxes.
For this type of order, it's much more affordable to use an
independent trucking service. Sometimes, if space is
available, we merely slide free standing plants into the truck and
they are delivered without packaging them together or putting them on a pallet.
Other times we will put plants onto a 4 foot wooden pallet, add
reinforcing wood sides to the pallet and wrap the whole bundle in shrink wrap
plastic. Which technique is used depends mostly on the
requirements of the trucking company and whether the plants will
be moved from one truck to another en route. Inside the pallets we
piggyback all sorts of smaller plants from band size to even
double-stacked 15g.allo plants. On one pallet it's quite possible to
get twelve to fourteen larger plants along with a whole bunch of
smaller ones. This method works on plants up
to about 8 feet tall. Taller than this won't fit under the
truck roof and must be individually laid down. Such tall
plants cannot be put on a pallet. .

The photos shown here were an order of 38
plants that went to a botanical garden on the east coast a few
days ago. They
demonstrate what the pallets look like once they are completed.
Each pallet weighs 750 to 1000 pounds. The palletized plants
are being put onto a lift gate of a a bobtail truck. This
truck goes up to Los Angeles and from there are moved into a 53
foot semi truck that goes across the country. Delivery
time is 3 to 4 days and the plants easily tolerate the trip.
And, from a cost point of view, shipping this way is much less
expensive than shipping one plant at a time by Federal Express .

Recently staff members have created and published a ten to twelve minute
video that shows you our recent nursery expansion projects, our various
growing areas of our 2.5 acre nursery, lots of unusual species of plants
and our new educational center where we delivery lectures and films.
We think it's fun and you'll enjoy it and that it's
worth your time.
Please watch it and email us feedback. Or, like us on Facebook or
Tweeter. Thank you.

Below are pictures of about thirty five palm species that all do
well in Southern California. I am leaving this post and the one
after it on my current Blog because people tell me that's it's very
useful to them. In the group of palms below, I left off the most common
species that, it seems, everyone knows about. So, there are no Queen
Palms and Mexican Fan Palms below. But, this group includes species
that may be a bit unusual and more interesting. This is not a complete
list. For instance, within any given genus, there may be dozens other
species that do well here. If I showed every species that you can grow,
it would be too overwhelming. So, I've kept it simple and show
representative pictures. I think, for a starting point, this will
suffice.

I have chosen to show mature plants in gardens. I tried to use mostly
pictures from gardens in Southern California to show examples. Some are
from elsewhere. This provides a quick view of species that you may want
to try. Some are for sun, others for shade. Some are more difficult to
grow than others. I'm not commenting on each species presently. But,
throughout my Blog, there are comments on almost all of these. If you
don't live here in Southern California, realize that many of these
species may live in your area as well.

I hope you enjoy this. We, of course, have most or all of these palms for sale
at the nursery in an assortment of sizes. And, for your
enthusiasts, we probably have several hundred other cool species for you
to try.

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

Bismarckia nobiis

Brahea armata

Caryota gigas

Chambeyronia macrocarpa

Chamaedorea costaricana

Coccothrinax species

Copernicia
baileyana

Cryosophila species

Cyphophoenix species'

Dypsis decaryi

Dypsis decipiens (habitat)

Dypsis leptocheilos

Dypsis onilahensis

Euterpe edulis

Hedyscepe canterburyana

Howea forsteriana

Howea belmoreana

Jubaea chilensis

Kentiopsis oliviformis

Livistona decipiens

Parajubaea torallyi

Phoenix rupicola

Pinanga coronata

Pritchardia species

Pritchardia species

Ravenea glauca

Ravenea species

Rhapis humilus

Rhopalostylis sapida

Roystonea borinquena

Sabal causiarum

Syagrus pseudococos

Veitchia arecina

Wodyetia bifurcata

On all the genera above there may be
many more species within the same genus that also grow well for us here. I
apologize if I haven't included your favorite species in this group, but this is
meant to be a brief introduction and I wanted to keep it simple. I have
utilized these
species in a brief article summarizing Palms for Southern California elsewhere
at this website.

PLANT CONTAINER SIZE

For growers here on the West Coast, there are black
plastic containers that most of us use on our plants. Surprisingly, there
are differences between the pots used
on the West Coast and East Coast of the U.S. Here we refer to most
containers by "gallon size" On the East Coast pots are referred to by
"diameter in inches". So,
back East you might find a plant in a "14 inch pot". Here is might be
called a "15 gallon pot". If you visit our price and availability catalog,
plants are shown by their
pot size. I'm hoping that this Blog post this morning will help clarify
what individual pots look like.

CONTAINER SIZE

PHOTO EMPTY CONTAINER

PHOTO OF PLANTS IN
THIS CONTAINER

BAND SIZE CONTAINERThis pot is 3 x 3 x 9 inches, square in shape. It is used for
seedling plants. For most growers, it has replaced the one gallon pot.
It is a bit deeper and easier to place in carrying trays. It also
conserves space on benches because these can be placed close together.
You can get a pretty nice plant in a band container, sometimes up to 30
inches tall.

ONE GALLON POTThis is a very common pot used, especially by flower growers
and those producing small shrubs. It's a typical first step after
germinating a seedling. We prefer using the band containers above as
they conserve table and bench space more efficiently and are deeper.
Diameter of this pot is six inches but it's only about seven inches
deep.

TWO GALLON POT
This pot is 7 to 8 inches wide and about 8 inches deep. It is a nice
size to move a band plant into. But, it is not particularly deep, so
you have to make sure the roots fit into the container. This pot will
produce an average plant that is about 2 feet tall. We grow a lot of
palms in these pots.

FIVE GALLON POT
This pot is 10 inches wide and about 10 inches deep. It produces a
plant that is one of the most common sized palms that we sell. It is
popular because it's not too heavy to lift and plants are typically
three to five feet tall, depending on the species.

SEVEN GALLON POT
We really like this container because it produces a good sized plant but
isn't as heavy to carry as a 15g. But, for some manufacturing reason,
this pot costs twice as much as a 15g. Therefore, most growers aren't
buying this sized pot very much nowadays. It is 12 inches wide, and
about 12 inches deep.

FIFTEEN GALLON POT
This is the most popular sized purchased by people who want a landscape
or near-landscape ready size of plant. This container typically
supports a palm from four to eight feet size. Weight of this size of
container with soil and plant is usually sixty to ninety pounds. It's
size is 15 to 16 inches wide and 16 inches deep. Note how this size pot
usually has a nice carrying lip at the top of the pot.

TWENTY/TWENTY-FIVE GALLON POTS
This is the next size up from a 15g. These pots are typically about 18
to 20 inches wide and 16 to 18 inches deep. They weight anywhere from
125 to 150 pounds with their soil. They can produce a plant larger than
the 15g, typically 8 to 10 feet. They usually have a flat lip on the top
as shown. The pot shown here is actually a 25g pot. 20 g are a bit
smaller.

24 INCH BOX CONTAINER
This box is 24 inches wide, square in shape and about 22 to 24 inches
deep. The weight of this container depends on the mix, but is anywhere
from 175 to 300 pounds (this heavier weight is if one is using a very
heavy soil). It takes two men to lift one of these. We prefer plastic
boxes as shown here, but they are much more expensive than wooden box.
They last a very long time.

ALL POT SIZES IN A ROWThis pot shows all the sizes lined up in a row. In
order, left to right are:

There are a few more pots that we use and I haven't discussed
here. These include:

Citrus pots: these are 8 x 8 x 14 inches, a tall pot for the diameter
and good for cycads
Deep bands: These bands are about twice the size of a normal band
Thirty gallon pots: These are a step up from the 25 gallon size and
pretty heavy
Thirty inch boxes: These are very heavy, hard to lift, so we rarely use
them